The Boho Magazine Blog

We just love this adorable shirt design by Cynthia Frenette on Threadless.

Too cute!!

Contrary to the way I’d like it to be, bad things happen to awesome people. Yesterday it came out that Actor and designer Tara Subkoff has a brain tumor. Luckily, the tumor is benign, but can be lethal if not removed, so Tara will be undergoing surgery this summer.
Tara Subkoff is known for her Immitation of Christ clothing line, as well as integrating re-used clothing in to designs (before it was cool), and has also acted in over 20 movies.
According to Stylelist, the recovery will take about a year, during which Tara will be unable to work. To help her get through the surgery and recovery, Tara’s friends have planned a silent art auction benefit for July 15th. Anyone interested in providing monetary support or donations for the auction has been asked to contact [email protected], and checks can be made out to NYFA and sent to the following address.

Art Production Fund
299 W. Houston St.
New York NY 10014

Tara- we wish you the speediest recovery imaginable!

[Photo: Getty Images via the New York Observer]

[Photo by Woodley Wonderworks]

Hey there! I hope you’ve got brilliant plans for tomorrow.
If you’re looking for some ways to keep it green, check out these blog posts, and have a blast!

Celebrate Independence Day the Eco Way! on Low Impact Living

Five Festive and Eco-Friendly Independence Day Crafts on Crafting a Green World

Food Independence Day (about a campaign to encourage local and sustainable eating on the Fourth) on Serious Eats

4th of July Cupcakes on Cupcakes Take the Cake (I’m throwing this in for good measure. Cupcakes ROCK)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for resistance. We are slaves, I tell you. SLAVES!!! Or… at least I am. To my couch.

More often than I’d like to admit, I have squandered nights on my couch, curled daintily around my laptop as the beautiful stars pass overhead unnoticed and the sweet summer breeze caresses nothing but the rounded backsides of my Raccoon Comrades as they attempt to break in through my cat door.

But this must stop! Summer is too beautiful, too fleeting to ignore! It’s July 1st- already independence day for Burundi and Rwanda, and our beloved July 4th is just days away. It’s all quite inspiring. So I’m going to declare some independence myself.
Independence from my couch. I vow to get off that thing and…

1. Ride my bike through tree lined streets wearing adorable sundresses
2. Go for moonlit walks with a romantic look on my face
3. Read charming novels in the park
4. Have at least one full-out picnic (blanket and everything!)
5. Make peace with the Raccoon Comrades

Now, what about you? Are you chasing after your dreams? Because if you’re feeling anchored to a couch, maybe you ought to declare your independence too. I guarantee it’s worth it. My door is open, my flip-flops are on, and already I can smell adventure on the wind!

Over the years, I have come to learn that not all sweets are created equal. Sugar is fine, but honestly, a desert is not worth sticking a fork into unless it meets certain criteria: (1) It must be fresh (2) It must be made with real, natural ingredients, and (3) it must be beautiful!
Our very own editor-in-chief Gina LaMorte just introduced me to a cake shop that meets- and exceeds my criteria. Cara Linn Cakes are fresh, sweetened only with organic cane sugar, and GEORGEOUS! They even offer vegan and raw food options, which is no small feat!
Lucky for you, they’re discounting cakes through June 25th! Even the wedding cakes are 40% off. Is it strange that I want to grab a random (but good-looking, mind you) man off the street and marry him so I can get one?
If you are anywhere near Brooklyn, NY, you’ve got to check them out. If you’re too far away, you can always just check out their blog to see the pretty pictures!
Oh, and if you’ll be swinging by San Francisco at any point, bring me one of their cupcakes! I simply must try one!!!

[photo by kennymatic]

Oh, it is ON, kids. I personally challenge you to a summer read-off. Whoever reads the most pages by September 1st wins mad street cred. Are you up to it, punk?
Seriously though- it’s just about summertime! We, as decent human beings, are morally obligated to engage in the time-honored tradition of summertime reading. What a crime it would be if we neglected to read in the sun with a cool beverage at our sides. So come on, join me and read read READ!!
If you’re already finished with the latest Boho issue, do not fret. There are TONS of new places to turn that are both easy on the planet and your pocketbook. You can read lots of books online via Google Books, and if you enjoy manga, utilize OneManga for frequently updated scanlations. If you prefer to hold the books you’re reading, you can use one of the many online sharing services and groups out there, such as Swaptree, Bookins, BookMooch, PaperBackSwap, and Freecycle (they swap tons of other stuff too). You can even have fun with sites such a BookCrossing, which lets you tag and track books you give away. There are also rental serives such as America’s BookShelf, Bookswim, and Booksfree, just in case you can’t get what you need for free.
Now that you have access to more books than you know what to do with, let’s turn to keeping track of them. I’m particular partial to Goodreads myself- it allows you to create various lists of books you want to read, are reading, and have read, and you can categorize, rate, review, and share them, as well as peek at what your friends are reading. It’s awesome!
So are there any takers? Friend me on Goodreads, and let’s read ourselves silly!

Hurrah! The summer issue is out- and it is AWESOME!! If you haven’t already subscribed, be sure to pick up a copy. You don’t want to miss out on this one.
Pip pip!

Am I the only one that freaks out when it comes to giving donations? There are so many deserving parties! Should I help animals? People? Ecosystems? Children? Gaaah!!!! I CAN’T DECIDE!!!
Because I have difficulty choosing recipients, I have decided to make donation decisions based on the organization receiving my money. Because cash is a bit scarce these days, I focus on the places that get the most bang out of my buck. After all, I don’t want 30% of my donation to go toward some large bureaucracy- I want as much of it to go directly to the intended recipients as is physically possible.
One of the charities that does this best is DonorsChoose. My room mate Caroline pointed it out to me about two years ago, and I have been raving about them ever since. On the DonorsChoose website, school teachers post proposals for various classroom improvements (such as upgraded reading materials, dry erase boards, calculators, and project supplies) that have corresponding prices attached. Proposals are screened by DonorsChoose volunteers before they make it to the site, so you can be sure they are legitimate. Once requests are posted, prospective donors have the opportunity to check them out and provide funding. DonorsChoose uses the money to purchase the requested supplies and ship them to the teacher, and donors recieve thank you notes from the class, photos, and a teacher Impact Letter.
What I love about this system is that it allows donors to know exactly where their money is going. I also love the gratification that donors get from the class pictures and thank you notes. So many charities accept donations that seem to go directly toward something tangible by giving you the chance to, say, buy a goat for a family in a developing country, however more often than not, the fine print reveals that the “goat” is only a representation of what may be purchased with your donation. DonorsChoose donations, on the other hand, go precisely where you think they will. Now that is awesome!!

[image from Twirls and Twigs]

Do you remember when green tea started showing up in everything? And pomegranates? And acai? Sometimes I wonder if our interest in them is more based on popularity rather than quantifiable merit. Back in the day, people feared saturated fat so much that food producers sought to avoid it, which led to thecreation of trans-fats. Did we think these new foods were healthier? Yep. Were they actually? Not so much.
Occasionally, I also question the merit of various organic products. It’s not that I’m against everything going organic, but industrial farming is still industrial farming, whether it is organic or not, and sometimes organic produce is shipped so far to come to our plates, we’re doing more harm than good to the environment by encouraging long-distance, carbon and pollution-gushing supply chains. For this reason, I prioritize local over organic.
But what about organic cotton? I have never been that well-informed about it. Is it worth it to buy organic cotton? Or, as with organic food, are there hidden caveats that make some types less environmentally friendly than one might imagine? I decided to do a bit of research.
What I found was that organic cotton is pretty much as good as it seems. Actually, the more I read about it, the more I felt that I never wanted to buy conventional cotton again! According to AboutOrganicCotton.org, “conventionally grown cotton consumes approximately 25% of the Insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world” and about a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers is required to make enough cotton for just one shirt!! Yikes!
I’m glad to know that more cotton farmers are going organic every year (there was a 158% increase from 2007-2008 alone, according to the Organic Trade Association!) and that it has real merit beyond the buzz. Still, I think it’s a good idea to be skeptical about products that boast their eco-friendliness. It’s all fine and good to be up on the latest trends, but when it comes to sustainability, it’s downright square to blindly accept faulty fixes.

Thanks to the conveniences of modern transportation, communication, and retail, we live very comfortable lives. Unfortunately, these conveniences also remove us from reality. Sometimes I spend so many hours sitting in front of a computer, eating packaged food, and researching abstract topics that I hardly feel human anymore!
Thankfully, I have methods for winning back my humanity- one of which involves trekking out to the local farmers’ market.
There is so much to love about farmers’ markets! The food is fresh, the people are friendly, and the prices are fantastic (especially considering the quality you get). What’s more, buying local food and produce is great for the environment. Personally though, I adore farmers’ markets because they are splendidly grounding. I love having the opportunity to shop in the open air instead of inside some climate controlled cave, and it’s incredibly comforting to see a real connection between the food I eat and the people and places they come from. Maybe one of the biggest problems with today’s environmental crises is that we forget about our connection to the natural world. Thanks to cars, complicated supply chains, and the Internet, it’s all too easy to do so.
Fortunately, it is also extremely easy to rebuild that connection. All it takes is a little thought, and farmers’ markets provide just that (plus that DELICIOUS food. Mmmmm). Websites such as LocalHarvest.org and FarmersMarket.com make it super easy to find nearby markets, and there are many additional directories, such as Fruitstands.com, which provide market listings on both national and local levels. If you don’t frequent your local market already, I strongly encourage you to plan a visit. Nothing beats fresh air, fresh food, and a fresh connection with the beautiful world that’s all around us!