How to add flair to your handwriting

I'm on a bit of a calligraphy kick and wanted to give you all a few pointers on how to make your handwriting/lettering more fun. It's super easy to achieve a great result! Any writing utensils work for this project.

Try new fonts.
First things first! Try some new lettering out: Pinterest is a great place to find some fun typography to try. You can even look at some magazines, books, or websites to get some inspiration for fun lettering! Evolve doodles into fonts.

Add some decor.
This is the time to add hearts, stars, rainbows, unicorns... Crazy weird doodles are highly recommended :)

Infuse some color!
The best part is right here. Add lots of color to your lettering or add some to certain words to add emphasis. Pens and colored pencils work great for this type of stuff.

That's about it! I hope that helps a bit regarding handwriting and lettering. Make sure to get a nice little notebook to practice your hand lettering in -- once it's done, you'll have a nice little collection to refer to later.

xoxo
Nat

An artsy afternoon

Doing art is one of my favorite things to do on a nice afternoon. Put on a soothing playlist, get out art supplies, grab a cup of hot chocolate and you're set for the perfect afternoon. This followed by baking a cake can't be beat! I'm looking forward to trying a sponge cake next time...

For tomorrow, here's what I have in mind: some thrifting, working on my One Word project, and making some yummy pasta. I might even squeeze in some organizing!

xoxo

Nat

a monday quote.

Happy Monday! What better way to kick off your week than with a nice quote? Pretty nice, I think.

I even found some links to go along with this quote:
+ something to do
+ something to love
+ something to hope for

xoxo
Nat

Meet my January sponsors!

What a lovely group of sponsors we have this month! Share some love and check their blogs out -- you surely won't be disappointed!

My name is Maria and I'm a 20-something living in Ottawa, Canada. I Believe In Story is my eccentric "literature" blog that features lifestyle posts related to the world of stories. Aside from IBIS, I occasionally write posts for Quirk Books and I offer freelance copyediting and design services on my main website.

visit her blog || her book design services 

I'm Alivia. I live in Portland, Maine, with my man, Lee, and our goofy pets. I teach dance and design blogs, he builds things and does sciencey stuff. I tote my camera around as much as possible; the fruit of that labor is shown on my blog. Come say hello!

twitter || facebook || blog

Ciera Design is a lifestyle and design blog where I share my adventures as a freelance graphic designer and everything that exhilarates me as an artist. I love sharing DIY projects, photography, home decor, arts and crafts, music, inspired living, and all things graphic design. CieraDesign.com was created as a way to curate and share my obsessions with design.

blog || facebook || twitter

My name is Laura, and I live in Catalonia, in a small town between the Pyrinees and the Mediterranean sea, in a countryside area surrounded by fields. I blog at La Caseta de Paper, where I post about crafts, photography, decoration, recipes... basically it's where I like to post inspirational things that make me happy. I also create cute paper goods for all kind of occasions and events.

etsy shop || twitter || facebook

+ Want to be part of next month's roundup? Purchase an ad spot here!

Want to sponsor Modern Buttercup in February?

Want to give your blog, shop, or business the extra exposure it needs to gain more traffic? Sponsor Modern Buttercup in February! I have lots and lots and lots of plans next month (and hey, it's my birthday!)

I have spots open for February, ready to purchase at the click of a button. Since I now have Passionfruit ads, it's easier than ever to become part of the family by purchasing an ad space! You can see my rates, stats, and traffic here at my sponsor page.

If you have any questions, or want to email me to purchase your ad space instead, I can be contacted here: hello [at] modern buttercup [dot] com

xoxo,
Nat

wishlist: little lovelies

 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6

It's so hard to believe that January is a little more than halfway over! So far, I've only worked on about half of my resolutions (blogging more consistently, learning how to crochet, improving my photography, and taking a year long challenge), which is sad, because if that's the case in January, then who knows where I'll be at in May?

A little about the wishlist:
I created this wishlist as a way to "window shop" for small items that aren't expensive, yet so pretty! Perfect for gift giving or as a treat for yourself.

xoxo,
Nat

Julep Maven box: January

January's Julep Maven box was one of my favorites, and I really like the color selections this month. This month, I received 2 polishes (purple and a light pink creme) along with a hand and cuticle stick, and a few freebies: swatch stickers and 3 colorful neon hair ties. You can see my review of each product below accompanied with a 1-5 star rating:

Nail polishes + swatches: 4 stars

I really liked this month's colors! The purple, Bette, was my favorite this month. I loved the way it looked and it applied very easily. Ava, the light pink creme polish, was a pretty color but didn't look that great with my skin tone, unfortunately (which is why I'm not giving these polishes a 5 star rating). The freebie nail polish swatches were also a favorite! I thought it very clever, and quickly went to work swatching all my nail polish colors. It was super helpful and I'm sure will be a real time-saver later. 

Hand and Cuticle stick: 5

I loved this product. A lot. I really like that it's not greasy on my skin! It's also really easy to transport and fits easily in my purse, where it is now. Need something to save your hands? This is it.

Freebie hair ties: 5

I was thrilled with these beyond belief! With all the hype surrounding hair ties like these, I was really excited to try them out. They worked really really well and I love that they don't leave kinks in your hair after wearing them for a few hours.

Overall rating: 5 stars. I adored this month's Bombshell box, and the freebies included! If you want to join in on the fun and become a Maven, try it out risk-free for only a penny using the coupon code: PENNY

xoxo, 

Nat

Friday Favorites: third

It's been a quick week and quite a good one, I must say. I snuggled with my little kitty, snapped some pics, and even squeezed in a few granny squares! See this week's picks:

Crochet slippers
Crochet slippers have never really appealed to me -- until now. These look so cute and would adorable if they were pencil tips. You can buy the pattern for dirt-cheap right here.

Lace Roses

I'm in love with crochet items lately, and this is clearly no exception! So pretty and floral.

iphone cases

These phone cases by Rifle Paper Co. are seriously adorable! I really really like the floral one with the peach flowers.

Phases of the Moon lollipops

These lollipops, I think are the highlight of today's picks! Gorgeous and a true piece of art. They look like they were taken from the sky...

xoxo, 

Nat

3 ways to find inspiration

One of my resolutions for 2013 was to be more creative and create more. However, that can be a bit hard to do when you can't find anything that inspires you to actually want to create something. And for you, my lovely readers, I've put together a little list of my top 3 tips to help you battle that creative block and find inspiration:

Take a day trip.
You don't know how much it will do for you if you get out of the house and do something! My favorite places to go are: the library, a thrift shop, a charming little town nearby, or even to an art museum. Doing things and taking in new sights really helps propel you in your creative process and gets that brainstorming where you want it!

Scribble things down.
You heard me. Carry a little notebook with you everywhere and jot down fleeting inspiration. Get those creative juices flowing and sketch a flower on the sidewalk. It's amazing what you'll find inspires you. Little moleskines like this one are my favorites!

Live in the moment.
Take a seat at the park and watch the day go by. Feed the pigeons. Instead of hurrying from one task to another, really put thought into each one and take your time. You only live life once :)

xoxo,
Nat

Passionfruit ads are now available!

I have a bit of a big announcement over here... I'm now accepting Passionfruit ads! I've been looking forward to making the switch, and decided to do so this month, as a way to really kick off the new year. In fact, you can purchase an ad spot over at my Sponsor page! 

But if you prefer to send me an email to purchase an ad spot instead, that's perfectly ok too! I'd love to hear from you! :)

xoxo, Nat

inspiration // florals

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 ||

I am enchanted by florals! Flowers in full bloom make my heart sing, and the thought of wearing them makes me want to dance in circles. I created an inspiration board to hopefully lift your spirits as they have mine, and have you to slow down and smell the roses (pun intended). I love this current floral trend and enjoying every moment of it (in fact, I'm still on the lookout for some cute floral jeans -- any suggestions would be very appreciated). 

Happy Monday -- I hope your week is off to a good start!

xoxo, Nat

My first granny square

It's been a pretty busy week, but I managed to find time to whip up a little granny square! The square has been my very first crochet "project" and I'm planning to make (quite) a few squares to create a granny square quilt. I'm not sure how long it will take me, but I'm sure it'll be a long-term project!

I'm going to head back to my current granny square now...

xoxo, Nat

Friday Favorites: second

Inspiration
How pretty is this typography? I love the chalk effect here -- inspiring and pretty.

Kitty Embroidery
This is soooo cute! It makes me think of all the little kittens on Pinterest...

Blogger "Type"
At first glance (as in a 2-second glance from far away), when I saw this, I was a bit skeptical, thinking "this couldn't be more false -- how stereotypical" but as I leaned in closer to my computer screen to read it and check it out, I was laughing out loud! This couldn't be more true for me! The whole blogger "diagram" is so me.

Charming Vintage Pocket Mirrors
Did I mention my little obsession with vintage prints? Maybe not. But these are just adorable! Over at the sweet and lovely shop, these cute little pocket mirrors are up for grabs (for only $8). This one is my personal favorite.

xoxo, Nat

An idle weekend

Saturday and Sunday were pretty mellow, unplanned to say the least. Take a peek at one lazy Sunday through the lens:

Morning :: Raindrops greeted me in the morning, making little clinking sounds as they hit the pavement. I poured myself a cup of water and filled it with ice, hoping it would wake me up a bit. And trust me-- it did!

Mid-morning :: Got to plan out the week's blog posts and start allotting time to put together a few!

Afternoon :: My little blog-planning session was cut short when I saw these little eyes staring at me, waiting to play. Who could resist such a cute little face? Well obviously, I can't :)

Evening :: Sat down for a bit and read some of my Frankie magazine. It's issue 50, so I'm a bit behind on reading the latest one. I hope to finish it soon!

Late evening / night :: Worked on my crocheting; I finally learned the basic stitches and began on my very first project -- a granny square! So excited!!

xoxo, Nat

Friday Favorites: first

It's the first Friday favorites of the new year! So exciting.
I was so glad to hear you loved the favorites last week, so I was super motivated to outdo myself this week...

 Paint swatch paintings
How fascinating is this? Paintings of paint swatches! So clever. Unfortunately, I didn't find any really good photos to put in (most were blurry), but you can find some good ones here.

2013 Inspiration

I find this so inspiring and something I should keep tacked up on my wall. So well said.

French Onion Soup grilled cheese sandwich 

This sandwich looks so delicious. I've seen it pop up all over Pinterest, and it looks really really good -- which  is weird because I've never actually had french onion soup. But this may be a good reason to try it :)

2013 desktop calendar

Mollie created such a pretty desktop wallpaper for the month of January that I couldn't resist sharing it with you!

Kitty kitty
Isn't this kitty the cutest? Alivia over at Brunch in April has just taken him in and looking for a name for him. Head over here to give her some of your ideas!

xoxo, Nat

Win a free blog design!

With the new year here upon us, I'm sure nearly every blogger is looking forward to a new look in 2013 to really give their blog a fresh start. And today I'm giving one reader the blog of their dreams for free! That's right. One blogger will win a complete blog design, designed by yours truly.

Mandatory Entry: Be a follower of Modern Buttercup and leave a comment stating why you should be chosen to receive a free blog design. (The better it is, the more chance you have at winning!)

Make sure to leave a comment for each entry! 1 comment per entry please.

Extra Entries:
+ take the 10 question reader survey (2 entries)
+ tweet/fb about this giveaway (3 entries)
+ pin this giveaway  (3 entries)
+ follow this blog on bloglovin (1 entry)

This giveaway will end in one week, January 9th and the winner will be announced soon after.
Blogger platforms only -- sorry!

Giveaway is now closed. The winner has been contacted -- thank you for entering!

Good luck!

xoxo, Nat

Happy 2013!

Happy 2013! I hope you all are having a good New Year's, and enjoying the start of another great year!
I've even put together my 2013 resolutions -- take a look:

1. Blogging consistently. I'm really trying to work on this along with putting together quality posts. Quality over quantity!
2. Thrifting more! I do love a great vintage find, and I really want to thrift more in 2013. 
3. Improve my photography. While it's ok now, it's just ok. Not amazing, not horrible, just average. 
4. Read more! A good book and a comfy reading nook = a well spent afternoon. And I'd love to squeeze in a few more off those!
5. Learn how to crochet. I've gotten hooked (no pun intended) after seeing Rebecca crochet 52 granny squares. They are so pretty and I want to learn just so I can create a granny square blanket of my own! In fact, I even bought a book along with 6 skeins of yarn. A bit much? 
6. Visit more new-to-me places. There's a lot to explore where I live, and I'd love to visit new shops and restaurants! 
7. Take a year-long challenge. This year, I've decided to take on a 365 everyday photo challenge. I've heard it can be a bit difficult at times, but I'm interested to see at what point I'll start running out of ideas! And when I do, I'd love to take a look at some photos on Pinterest for inspiration and giving them my own twist!

What are your 2012 resolutions? I'd love to hear them!

xoxo, Nat