3 Skills Every Freelancer Needs

Welcome to the Diversifying Your Skills series! Learning new skills in your life and career can be really rewarding—but challenging at the same time. What does it mean to realize you’re missing a skill for your career or, worse, life? How can you best learn new skills? I’ll be answering those questions and more in this weekly series. You can read all posts in this series here.

It’s easy to wax poetic about being a freelancer. There are so many pluses: I can take days off whenever I want*; I can schedule my time however I please*; I can choose what work to take on and what work to pass on*…

What are those asterisks for you ask? Sorry, let me check the footnotes…

* You can take days off, except the days where your clients expect you to be working, especially if they email you, call you, text you, or check in on you.

* You can schedule your time however you want, but you’ll need to factor in when your clients are awake and working as well.

* You can choose what work to take on and what to pass on, but you’ll always have to consider word of mouth and how much money you’re making each month.

So, yes, there are many pluses to working as a freelancer! We don’t often talk about the not-so-fun ones: that it’s easy to say you work for yourself, but you kind of aren’t. It’s more like you’re working for multiple bosses, all with different needs, and schedules, and communication styles.

This isn’t to shit talk freelancing without reason. Some days I love being a freelancer; some days I just wish I had a normal job (like when I wish I had an account manager who could take on all my client meetings!)

One thing that we often don’t talk about with freelancing is that you need more skills than just the ones you’re selling as services. Yes, you’re a good writer, or a good graphic designer, or a good strategist. But are you good at… bookkeeping? Do you have a customer service voice? Let’s chat the 3 skills that every single freelancer needs.

1. Bookkeeping

Here’s an embarrassing story: mid-way through July, I all of a sudden realized I should be paying my estimated taxes into the state and federal government. I sort of abstractly knew this was a “thing”, but for whatever reason thought that my first year of freelancing, I didn’t need to do this. (This is still a bit of a hazy point; lots of accountants say that is the case, but other accountants say it’s not. The government doesn’t really list that… but all I know is, I don’t want to be penalized or investigated for tax fraud. And you probably don’t either, right?)

It goes without saying: you need either to learn bookkeeping now so you have a good record of your invoices (or use a simple invoicing software like Square) or hire a bookkeeper or seek out a bookkeeping software. I recently looked into Bench and while I really like them, I wasn’t quite at the point financially where I needed their help. If I had more clients and more invoices, it would definitely be top of my list.

Right now, I primarily use a combination of spreadsheets, my Square invoices, and Quickbooks. I don’t have a ton of expenses yet, so that’s not a huge concern to me. On top of bookkeeping, having a great accountant who you can call and ask questions is huge.

2. Customer Service

Do you know someone who says stuff like, “I won’t ever have a job where I have to work customer service again”?

I used to say that all the time when I worked retail and food service. I actually really loved working both in retail and food, but the customer service aspect was always challenging for me. I’m not super assertive and especially when I was younger, I struggled to establish boundaries.

That being said, it turns out when you’re a freelancer, you’re every part of the job: client management, customer service, service provider, CEO… everything. It’s all you, baby!

So if you like me said you would “never work customer service again”, I have really bad news for you.

Providing good customer service when selling your services can be really challenging. It’s hard to take feedback, especially if you’re an expert in your field—a client hired you for that reason, so it’s hard to make changes based on their desires. But balancing client requests and your expertise is important and learning to communicate effectively is huge! It’s all about good customer services, uses the right language and tone, and providing a great experience on top of great services.

3. Organization

How organized are you?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how organized is your desk?

More bad news, if you answered “oh shit, I’m not organized at all”, you’ll need to learn some organization techniques soon! You can read my series about getting organized here.

Being organized will make your life so much easier at the start of your freelancing career. Rather than realizing mid-way through the first year that you’ve lost a contract or don’t remember where you put the notes you took at a meeting that you need. Here are a few of my tips:

• Buy a filing cabinet or filing box. Create folders for every client. Any printed contracts or notes go in here. (Create this same system in Google Drive; call it FILING CABINET and create the same folders.)

• Create an tagging system for your email inbox.

• Clean off your desk and keep it clean.

• Keep a notebook for each client. (I buy notebook packs I find on sale at TJ Maxx or Marshalls.) All notes for meetings I keep in this one notebook!

It’s pretty easy to set up a system to start organized now. It doesn’t have to be boring or a huge chore—just something you do to keep yourself organized and sane. I usually set aside a few hours each week to get organized, update my invoices and hours, and make sure all my tasks are organized in Asana.

A Complete Guide to Setting Boundaries

This month, we’re going to talk about establishing boundaries: in your business, in your personal relationships, and beyond. Establishing boundaries is so important to everyone and something we don’t talk about enough! I hope you find value and comfort in these blog posts. You can read all posts in this series by clicking here.

This week, I’m finally ready to post my full guide to setting boundaries. This guide will cover everything you need to know about setting boundaries: what that means, how to do it, what to say, and how to keep yourself from letting boundaries lapse.

Boundaries are one of the best things you can do to keep your relationships—from work to home—emotionally healthy, as well as to improve your own mental health. There are tons of benefits to setting boundaries—you can read the pull quote below, but here’s a rundown:

• Setting boundaries reduces your stress, as well as your mental load. If you aren’t having to constantly balance the emotional needs of other people, or be on call to everyone at the same time, then you will experience way less stress.

• If you have children, setting healthy, respectful boundaries teaches them to do the same thing: to set healthy, respectful boundaries, to respect themselves, and to prioritize their mental health.

• Setting boundaries help define the line between your work life and your home life.

I’m glad you’re here and reading my guide to setting boundaries. As I’ve said in previous posts in this series, I’m not a mental health professional—just one person who loves to write and who attends therapy to help set boundaries in my professional and personal life! I hope you find this guide helpful.

How to Set Boundaries

What does it mean to set boundaries?

Good question! Here’s an example to help illustrate what that means.

Let’s say you are a mom of 2. Your children’s ages are 3 and 1. Both are walking, but only one is verbal at this time. They have a bad habit of always following you into the bathroom no matter what. You wish they wouldn’t, but if you close the door, the one-year-old throws a fit and the 3-year-old joins in.

What is a boundary to set in this example?

1. Establishing with the 3-year-old in age appropriate language that you want to be alone in the bathroom. Bathroom time is private time.

2. Remind yourself that you deserve private time. Again, bathroom time is private time and you get to decide if you want your children in the bathroom with you or not.

3. Encourage the 3-year-old to entertain the 1-year-old when you’re in the bathroom. “It upsets [baby] when I go to the bathroom. But bathroom time is private time. If she gets upset, can you comfort her for me? You’re so helpful! When I’m done, we can all bake cookies together.”

Firstly, the boundary is defined: you want to go to the bathroom alone and you have that right, even from your children.

Secondly, the boundary is communicated: from now on, you’ll be going to the bathroom alone and closing the door. There will be consequences if they open it.

Thirdly, acknowledge their emotions. “I know it’s upsetting with Mama goes to the bathroom alone. I love that you want to spend time with me. But bathroom time is private time.”

Lastly, you keep the boundary. When you go to the bathroom, you close the door and you don’t let your children sit at your feet.

That’s just one example of setting a boundary! But here’s a rough outline of those steps again:

1. Define the boundary and why it is important to you.

2. Communicate the boundary.

3. Acknowledge the needs of others.

4. Keep the boundary established (even when it’s challenging).

The last steps is admittedly the hardest one. How can you stick to your boundaries when you have a child crying outside the bathroom door? Or when a client calls you over and over on a Saturday afternoon? Or when your boss asks you to please respond to emails after 7pm? Where do you draw the line? Let’s talk about sticking with our boundaries—that will make up the majority of this guide!

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How to Stick to Your Boundaries

Enforcing Boundaries with Love and Kindness

First things first, let’s remember why we’re setting boundaries in the first place.

In the example I provided, we aren’t setting a boundary with our children to be alone int he bathroom because we don’t like our kids. We want and deserve a few minutes alone; and we want to make sure our children understand that bathroom time is private time.

Boundaries are created out of love and a desire to be better--not a desire to hurt other people.

Setting boundaries doesn’t mean we don’t love the people around us, that we don’t like them, or that we don’t respect them. You can set boundaries and show love and kindness while doing so!

All that being said: sometimes, our boundaries aren’t respected. This doesn’t happen out of unkindness, usually. It just means that perhaps they don’t understand the boundary, they don’t understand why it’s important, or they don’t realize that what they’re doing is crossing the boundary. However, sometimes people do it, plain and simple, because they don’t feel like respecting your boundaries—which means they don’t really care about respecting you. In this case, the only advice I have is this: it’s not your job to make it easier for them to do this!

Enforcing boundaries with love and kindness will look different for everyone. However, here are a few example phrases I keep in my arsenal:

• “Do you remember when we talked about appropriate times to text me? It was a few weeks ago, so I just want to circle back to that and remind you that my working hours are…”

• "Last time we spoke, I mentioned that I do try to get to emails within 24-48 hours. A few days ago, you emailed me 3 times in 2 hours. I get that sometimes things happen, but due to the volume of my inbox, I have to ask you to please not do that. I appreciate you as a client and this project is so fun, but that does get overwhelming for me.”

• “I’m so excited to bake cookies with you later. But for now, I need to work. I’ve put the red light sign on my door. Do you remember what that means?”

Keep gently reinforcing boundaries! You don’t have to be rude (or feel rude!) when you do it.

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Communicating Boundaries Respectfully

When we set boundaries, we want to make sure that not only are we communicating our boundaries, but also acknowledging the feelings of others as we do so. This might mean:

• Reminding our children that we love them and respect them and that, when we’re doing with xyz, we’ll do something fun together.

• Reminding our clients how much we appreciate their work.

• Reminding our friends and family that we appreciate them and love them.

Communicating boundaries respectfully also means acknowledging the boundaries and feelings over others. This might mean having longer discussions about our boundaries, how we communicate best, and how we don’t want to be spoken to. This is great for extremely close relationships, like your partner, siblings, parents, or others.

However, for clients, this is definitely more complicated.

Sometimes as freelance workers, we can feel not like we are a boss, but rather like we have multiple bosses. With all my clients, I try to reiterate one small fact: I am a freelancer, not an employee; as such, I am not beholden to rules of an employer like an employee would be. I set my working hours; I set my response times; and it is up to me set those expectations from the beginning. Those expectations are ultimately boundaries and if a client repeatedly pushes on them, the boundary needs to be established even more—and reinforced, as we’ve discussed. That being said, this is a relationship that is often much more fraught, because it is almost entirely without emotion.

Our work boundaries are often more challenging to communicate than our personal life boundaries—and that’s ok. Here are a few great things to say:

• “Hi there! I’m sorry if you expected a reply to this when you sent it. For the sake of my mental health and to allow myself to be the best employee, I do not respond to work emails or questions after 6pm. I try to get to these emails and texts first thing when I start my work day though.”

• “I noticed that you have been texting me after 6pm a lot recently. Here is how I prioritize my work. Would that help you better understand why I’m not getting to things at a certain time?”

• “Would it be helpful to schedule a weekly check in time so that we can handle all of these concerns at once? Maybe that will reduce both of our inboxes!”

This is definitely challenging work, but it is valuable. The more you communicate your boundaries, and reinforce them, the easier it will get.

How to Respond to Gaslighting

Setting boundaries is where we are all most likely to experience gaslighting, unfortunately. In this case, I want to the Mindgeek on Instagram, who has tons of resources to responding to gaslighting behavior.

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A post shared by Sarah Crosby (@themindgeek) on Aug 21, 2020 at 11:27am PDT

Here are a few examples of gaslighting in response to setting boundaries:

• “I don’t remember you saying that” or “that’s not what you said!” when you remind them of your boundaries.

• “It’s not that bad”

• “You’re just being dramatic.”

If you experience these things, the only thing I can offer is sympathy; know that I understand, your boundaries are valuable and important; and that you know your truth more than anyone else. The Mindgeek’s tips are good ones.

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How to Move Forward

Where do I go from here?

You set the boundary; you communicated it; you’ve been working on enforcing it… what happens now?

The thing about setting boundaries is this isn’t one-and-done work. It requires constant checking in and re-establishing. It can feel overwhelming to think of this work as being one that never ends. But instead of thinking of it as endless (“oh my god, I have to keep reminding my kids to do xyz everyday—this is the worst”), think of it as an opportunity: “each time I remind my kids of xyz, I get another opportunity to teach them to prioritize their mental health and relationships.”

Working on ourselves and our mental health isn’t ever going to be a one-and-done process. Don’t I wish it was! That being said, looking at things as opportunities to grow and change, to experience something new, to work on being our best selves is much, much better than thinking of it merely as endless, slogging work.

I hope you found this guide to setting boundaries helpful. Thanks for reading, as always!

Freebie: My Checklist for Daily Organization

I’m so excited to be sharing the last installment of my Let’s Get Organized series. Organization is not about perfection; it’s about having the tools and systems in place to make your life easier, whenever you need it. If you’d like to see May-June’s series on Daily Routines, click here. If you’d like to read the previous posts in the Let’s Get Organized series, click here.

Today’s post is going to be short-and-sweet. I feel like I’ve shared everything I can about creating an organization system that works for you and just you. To reiterate, here’s what to focus on:

• Small spaces first, and then larger.

• Focus on the issue that is keeping that space disorganized (such as too many papers, not having the right storage system, etc) and not the aesthetics.

• Small, daily organization works better than every-6-month-organization-spree.

On that last note, I have a daily organization checklist I’ve been using to help clean up my spaces.

Every week, I print a fresh copy, write out my to do items for keeping my newly organized spaces, well, organized, and then pop it on the fridge to remind me. Here are a few examples of my daily organization items:

• Sort and file new mail.

• Shred any papers in my office that I don’t need.

• Clear kitchen counters and put away clutter.

• Load, run, and empty dishwasher and dish strainer.

I really hope this checklist will be helpful to you as you try to become more organized!

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3 Habits to Stay Organized

I’m so excited to be sharing the second installment of my Let’s Get Organized series: 3 Habits to Stay Organized. Organization is not about perfection; it’s about having the tools and systems in place to make your life easier, whenever you need it. If you’d like to see May-June’s series on Daily Routines, click here.

Organizing a space is the easy part. You spend a day, or a few days, cleaning out a space, getting everything put away in a way that makes sense, and then it stays perfect forever, right? Right.

Actually, not right. We all know that’s not how it works. We’ve all organized a space and then gone back 2 weeks later and wondered what on earth happened.

Part of getting and staying organized is making it a habit that we work on continuously. A muscle that we stretch and strengthen like any other. It takes routine. It takes patience. It takes a few things that help make it a habit. Here are 3 ways to make organization a habit!

1. Make Your Organization Easy

This one is easier said than done. Basically: make your organization easy for you. There was a great Twitter thread recently about how, for some people, stacked, closed boxes for organization simply don’t work for them. It’s not easy enough. It takes too much time and effort and they know they won’t keep up with it. Open bins, however, work great. While that might not be for everyone, the point is: find a method that works for you. Neat stacks of things? Go for it. Open bins? Yes. Stacked, orderly, labeled boxes? Yes!

Whatever it is that makes organization easy, then incorporate it into your space and life. One thing I struggle with in my office is keeping my desk clear of clutter. I realized recently I need some place to put papers (that I will need to reference later!), random notebooks, etc. I am getting a second bookshelf soon (I know!) and I'll be getting a few open, pretty bins to collect those bits-and-pieces that I need, but don’t have a space for. I’m also getting a filing cabinet soon—it’s long overdue and it will change my office when I finally get one, I think!

Here’s a few ideas of how to make organization easy:

• Make your organization fit how you use a space. That means, don’t stack things that are basically storage in the pantry; put them in storage!

• Put everything where it goes the first time—and instead of just shoving it into a closet, take it to the actual closet where it lives. (A prime example of this for Danny and I is our 3 closets that each have 1/3 of our medicine cabinet.)

• Don’t challenge yourself with your organization. If you really want to be organized, know yourself first—don’t use this as an opportunity to force yourself to try a method you probably know won’t work for you.

2. Make Space for Everything (And If There Isn’t Space, Do You Need It?)

There should be a space for everything you need—and if there isn’t space in way that makes sense, that works, and that’s easy… then ask yourself: do you really need it?

This is sort of a Marie Kondo-esque moment—but not quite that intense. It’s just about simplifying.

Here’s an example: I have 4 tubs of journals. 4 tubs from my entire life. These are important to me. I keep them in a small storage room that is in my office’s closet. It’s a great place to store things I change out pretty frequently or use often, like wrapping paper, decorations for the seasons, extra rugs, tablecloths… that kind of thing. But over the last year, this storage room has gotten insanely disorganized. The primary culprit are these 4 huge tubs of journals. I like to look at them; I’ve referenced them a few times in the past year for random things. But I don’t need them in this space.

They could easily go to the garage! So once our garage is tidied up, that’s where they’re going to go and I’m sticking with it.

All I’m saying here is this: just because something doesn’t work in a space or isn’t needed in a space, doesn’t mean you need to throw it away or get rid of it. It might just mean finding a new space to store it, especially if it’s not something you use frequently or need frequently.

Once you’re really in the work process of organizing a space, deciding what you need versus what you want in that space really is crucial. It will impact how you choose to organize it. And making the right decisions and clearing out things that are just going to complicate the space will make it easier to stay organized over time.

3. Include Reorganization Into Your Routine

My office is a huge bugbear. It tends to be a catch all space where things get put: stuff my mom gives me, stuff that needs to go into storage, random papers, bills… all kinds of stuff ends up there! Right now, I’m still in the process of getting the space cleaned up and organized in a way that makes sense. However, I have started trying to do a quick, 15-minute clean up every evening where I straighten things up, put all the pens back in the pen cup, and at least straighten up my papers.

I also try to take a quick 5 minutes to organize my kitchen at the end of the day: putting things away, straightening random clutter that I need to figure out what to do with, checking the pantry, making sure coffee making stuff is stocked for the morning.

If you make these small tasks of continuously reorganizing and working on a space part of your routine, it makes it that much easier to keep up—and to become a habit. You’ll be more likely to put things where they go rather than just leaving them on the counter or tucking them away in a random drawer if you make it part of your routine to go along after yourself (or your husband, or your kids) and put them where they go. (And obviously, encouraging everyone in your home to do the same thing is the dream!)

Another part of this is, of course, changing your organization when it doesn’t fit. You might think you have a good idea of how to organize a space—but then when it comes to working in your routine and daily life, it just might not. So taking 5 minutes to quickly reorganize the coffee station or silverware drawer so it is more functional is going to make a huge difference and allow organization to be a better habit.

Spring Color Series: Canary Yellow

It's officially here: the last in my spring color series. (You can read all the other posts here.)

Putting these together every week has been one of my absolute highlights. These were never meant to be all that serious, but rather fun posts for me to explore colors that are trending and that we can all incorporate into our wardrobes (or decor) relatively easily and affordably. 

I saved my favorite for last: canary yellow. 

When I say canary yellow, however, I don't mean just bright yellow; I mean shades of chartreuse or lemon, mustard or rusty. All shades of yellow apply here, as long as it's beautiful, bright, and sunny. 

Let's jump in and talk about yellow--and what's inspiring me for this color! 

Inspiration

Yellow is one of those colors that is simultaneously always in fashion, but feels difficult to wear. When we talk about "yellow," some people imagine it as a sickly color or a childish color. Baby nurseries are butter yellow or sunny yellow. I once read a poem that described hospitals as smelling yellow. 

Some have mixed feelings about yellow... but I love it. 

A few years ago, mustard yellow everything was the trend. I had a mustard yellow skirt that I ended up shrinking in the washing machine (RIP yellow skirt) and a mustard yellow cardigan that I wore to my first ultrasound appointment. Mustard yellow was everywhere. 

Yellow can be one of those colors that's a little bit of everything; it goes with neutrals, but it can be paired with other bright or primary colors for a little bit of fun. It can be sunny, or preppy, or athletic. It can be whatever you want it to be. I specifically like it in these two color palettes because you can see how well it pairs with other neutrals (with gray for a more modern look, or with brown for something that's a little 1970s reminiscent). 

Top 3 Picks

1. Lemon Wedge Cross-body Bag

The cross-body bag trend isn't going away anytime soon. I know novelty bags are just that--novelties, a little impractical for day-to-day life. But just imagine wearing this lemon wedge bag with jeans and a gray cardigan to brunch. It's big enough to carry your essentials and cute enough to remind us that, despite the fact that it's snowing in places it really shouldn't, spring is coming! 

2. Ikebana for All A-Line Midi Skirt in Saffron Floral

This skirt reminds me so much of the mustard skirt I had... I almost ordered it. Almost. With a bright, pretty floral pattern and a gorgeous, buttery yellow color, this skirt is perfect for wearing to the office. Pair with some flats or kitten heels and a sweater for a perfect early Spring outfit. 

3. Faux Patent Leather Slide Sandals in Yellow

These sandals (yes, sandals, spring is going to get here, I promise) are the perfect addition thing to wear when you want to look trendy, but don't really have the cash. (They're less than $25. Really.) I would pair them with a striped skirt and a cardigan; but they'd also look great with skinny jeans or shorts. And their somewhat muted canary yellow color is great for the season and goes with just about every neutral. 

Spring Color Series: Millennial Pink

Millennial pink has been on the radar for at least the last year. I definitely noticed a sharp uptick in people dying their hair a really pretty shade of pastel pink last year. As someone with naturally almost-black hair who, even with professional help can't bleach my hair beyond orange, I was really, really jealous. I also remember reading an article around the beginning of last summer about how millennial pink was "the" color of millennials.

It's a pretty fair assessment. Look at the packaging for Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty line. The packaging for Fenty, too, is a pale, pale pink. We're seeing pale pink--and all it's variations--in packaging, flat lays, everything. Rose, dusty pink, rose gold... they all fall into the millennial pink family and it's hot. 

To read last week's take on forest green, click here. 

Inspiration

Millennial pink is an almost universally flattering color because it's come in so many shades. Can't pull of baby pink? Try something a little more lavender. Want to go bright? Millennial pink has your back. I mean, look at these Pantone swatches! Prefer a little more coral? It's there too! And this is just a single screenshot of what Pantone considers millennial pink. There are so many options! How isn't this a perfect color for Spring? 

Top 3 Picks

1. adidas Gazelle Shoes

When I was around 12, I wanted nothing more than a pair of Adidas Gazelle shoes with pink stripes. My mom got me white and blue ones instead (shout out, mom). But I'll be honest: these ones really tug my heart strings. Millennial pink!? Suede?! I'm in. I'm there. Paired with rolled up skinny jeans and a plain t-shirt or sweater and you've got the cutest outfit on the block. You're welcome. (And they're only $60! Why do I remember them being more expensive?) 

2. Snap Button Denim Jacket from Forever 21

I've been looking for a denim jacket for ages. They tend to bounce between too fitted and too boxy. This one seems to hit the sweet spot (at least on the model) and, of course, the millennial pink color makes it perfect for dressing your standard late winter outfit for spring. Over dresses and tights? Yes. Layered with a sweater and leggings? Absolutely. 

3. ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter in Parallel

I knew I wanted to include one makeup item here--and let me tell you, millennial pink is way easier than forest green when it comes to makeup! This ColourPop Highlighter is only $8, to start, and the sunset-reminiscent millennial pink color makes it perfect for almost all skin types. (I've seen it used as a blush too and it's absolutely beautiful!) The perfect way to add a pop of pink on even your dreariest days. 

Spring Color Series: Forest Green

When I first set out to take on this Spring color series, I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to do it. I knew I wanted to include not just style, but beauty items; and I knew I wanted it to be more than some kind of wish list post (which I love, but aren't the most original). I had a hard time really pinning down what I wanted this post to look like, but after a lot of hard work... I got there. (And it should be said: I'm writing this Tuesday evening. Since November, my posts have been scheduled 1-2 weeks in advance, so I've really been spending time thinking on this one!  

Forest green, to me, is a neutral. As a color, it can vary from the darkest shades to the lighter, olive tones, but it always recalls a deep, dark forest. It's a natural color and one that it almost universally flattering. Green has always been one of my favorite colors. Forest green pairs well with gray, pink, white and cream, black, and coral. 

Inspiration

When it came to finding inspiration, I picked anything that really inspired me to incorporate forest green into my style for the upcoming season. You know I love woodsy chic anything, so the forest green enamel mugs are right up my alley.

I'm looking to add forest green curtains to my living room to go with my lavender-gray wall, so decor pieces have been inspiring me lately. In terms of fashion for spring, forest green is a great color for cable knit sweaters; for those of us who have late summers, we're still wearing sweaters into April and May, and they pair well with skinny jeans and ankle boots. I think it's safe to say the world has been obsessed with palm print in the last few  years & it's probably not going away; I'm on the hunt, personally, for a palm print scarf that doesn't break the bank. 

(Click each photo for their source!) 

Top 5 Picks

Now, what 5 items are perfect for adding to your spring wardrobe or makeup collection to add some forest green? Let's talk. 

1. Too Faced Chocolate Gold Palette

Controversially, I love Too Faced palettes; I know some don't love their eye shadow formulation, but I find it's easiest for me to use. This palette is particularly attractive to me--and that pop of forest green in the corner is making me think of ways to save up money for this palette! This palette also contains other complimentary colors, and a super bright pink for the days you aren't feeling so green. On my Spring Color Series Pinterest board, I pinned some ways to wear forest green eyeshadow. 

2. Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick in Midnight Wasabi

It's a green lipstick. You heard me: a green lipstick. Midnight Wasabi from Fenty is really causing waves and for good reason: it looks good on nearly everybody. It's a grey-toned green, almost olive, but still forest-y. And it's really pretty on. If you want to be adventurous with green with spring, Midnight Wasabi is where it's at. 

3. ModCloth's With Only a Wink Dress

It's been a long time since I genuinely wanted a dress from ModCloth so bad it hurt--but this dress is definitely giving me fashion-blogging-circa-2012 vibes. The lattice panel across the shoulders. The high waist with a bow. The floaty skirt. And in a toned down forest green, it's perfect for any special occasion (like a spring wedding!) and with a sweater & tights, you can wear it to work too. Once summer is here, a light cardigan on top and your favorite wedges make it a great weekend dress. Listen, I just planned this dress for every season; it's clearly the best. 

4. A Classic Fine Knit Sweater from H&M

I wear sweaters almost constantly. I rarely leave the house without a cardigan and my go-to outfit is jeans, ankle boots, and a sweater. So obviously, this sweater from H&M had to make the list; it's a classic shape with no surprises. Have you ever spotted a cute, lightweight sweater in a department store, walked over to it, and discovered it has some random cut out on the back, or some weird design on it? Yeah, that's the worst. That's why I like this sweater: it's the perfect, low-key sweater that you can wear casual on the weekends (jeans & ankle boots, natch) and style up for work (add a blazer & a pencil skirt). Plus, it's just under $20. That's a score! 

5. The Body Shop's Fuji Green Tea Exfoliating Scrub

You deserve a treat. A forest green treat. A green tea treat. I love the Body Shop & I recently found out they are officially cruelty-free again (a.k.a., no longer owned by a parent company that tests on animals). That means we can all enjoy their products guilt free. Like this Fuji Green Tea exfoliating scrub: forest green and smelling delicious, it gives you a much needed pick-me-up. Plus, we're all going to be wearing sleeveless tops soon (believe it and it'll be true, right?), which means we need to make sure our skin is looking snatched. 

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Have something of the forest green variety to add? Let me know on Twitter & don't forget to check out my Spring Color Series board on Pinterest, where I've pinned all my inspiration, favorite items, and more! 

Introducing: The Spring Color Series

Way back in November, I got the idea for a series about color for spring. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do, or how I was going to do it, but I knew I wanted to do it. I was excited to write about something different, to find ways to display color that were beyond the norm. I wrote it down on my editorial calendar for a few weeks, then immediately forgot about it. 

Remembering I have these posts coming up got me excited all over again. 

Gray

Forest Green

Millennial Pink

Canary Yellow

Way back in November, I ran a series of polls about colors people were most excited to see in spring. I figured November was a good time to ask; it was close enough to summer that people could still remember what the sun felt like, but not so in the depths of winter that people were getting wild with their ideas. (I think everyone gets a little too optimistic about how we will be dressing, come June, around mid-February!) 

Overwhelmingly, the most popular colors were: Forest Green; Millennial Pink (obviously); Gray; and Canary Yellow. A good mix of neutrals (I consider forest green to be a year-round neutral) and bright, spring colors. Also, all of these colors can look good together if done correctly. I'll be covering each color separately at first though, then going over some mixes. 

Which brings me to my next point: if you have a blog post that features one of these colors either in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, decor, or travel... send it to me! I want to see those photos, those links, and more. Just contact me via Twitter or Instagram (or email to your right). 

I hope you stick around for this exciting series. I'm quite excited to be doing it and I hope you'll love it!