Oh, and Happy, Happy Friday!

Hello Lovelies,

 "Together Now" source unknown

I haven't posted here in awhile... I was busy with my life, and my gearing into healthy livin' and all... Things that are important to me of course, but not very relevant for this blog!

I do recommend the SparkPeople site though! No fad diets there, just healthy habits for "making your life an adventure". and it's all for free!

I wanted to share with you this beautiful image (posted above) but was reluctant since I had saved it on my computer but forgot its source! Proper linking to the original source and crediting is very important to me, and it is widely discussed in the blogosphere right now, with pinterest and all!

I have found this great tip (scroll down to #7) on how to find the proper source of an image via the "Google images" feature. Will try it and will let you know... (edit: ooh! it doesn't work for this specific image!)

 caterpillar on your finger... image source

Enjoy you pet caterpillar, relax, and have a great weekend!

-Vic from TeaButterfly.

The Life of Tropical Butterflies

Hello Lovelies!

 Tropical butterflies at the Detroit Zoo. via the "obsession with butterflies" site.

No TV At Home.

I don't have a TV at home, but I'm staying at a friend's right now and just saw a very interesting documentary on the life of tropical butterflies. And you know me, I'm crazy about butterflies!
This particular program was broadcasted by ARTE, the German-French TV. You can re-play this "X:enius" program here for a few days (in French and German).

photo found via Dominique's Browning's blog, Slow Love Life. No, wait! Dominique has indeed mentioned her love for caterpillars on her fantastic blog, but this particular image is via the jjjjound.com blog.

The Appetite of the Caterpillar.

One thing that really struck me, watching this program, was the caterpillars' huge appetite, for fresh leaves and for life! Maybe thats why they're called caterpillars, with cater like in catering? I'll have to check in a dictionary. But what I witnessed was the caterpillars' - of any species - huge growth, literally within days, following that massive eating of leaves.

Image from the program X:enius on ARTE TV

But Not Just Any Leaves... 

Most butterfly species feed on a specific herb, leaf or plant. That's what makes them so fragile. Hunters and collectors of exotic butterflies don't seem as much as a big threat as deforestation is, or the disappearance of a given environment.
Caterpillars are hungry indeed, but most times they would rather die than eat another leaf than the one they're used to eat! So if a given forest, with the given plants and trees that grow there, disappear, the butterflies disappear with their environment. Just another reason to protect tropical forests and wildlife!

 Funky Caterpillars, a triptych made of three of my Flickr faves.
1. Chenille de Bombyx à livrée (Malacosoma neustria) The Lackey caterpillar, 2. la chenille ne tient qu'a un fil, 3. Chenille Machaon (Papilio machaon) Swallowtail Caterpillar

Butterflies in Your Garden.

So you'd like to preserve butterflies and have plenty of them in your surroundings? That's quite simple really. You can either grow specific butterfly-attracting plants like the famous buddleia. Or you could simply let nature do the hard work and leave a small part of you garden unweeded. Yes! Grow weeds! "Weeds", or whatever plants grow naturally in your soil, are the most likely to attract the butterflies that would naturally develop there. Just wonderful, and simple!

-Vic from TeaButterfly.

buddleia !

Frightened Or Festive?

Hello lovelies,

I've been away for quite a while, but believe me, it was worth the wait! My little sister got married under snow flakes in the most diminutive white dress (she was sooo lovely as a bride!) and I drew and doodled as usual...

Above is a result I'm happy with: "A Frightened Caterpillar" that looks actually quite festive and X-massy with her red horns (that she shows only when she fears danger).

My Etsy will re-open this week I promise!

Until then,I wish you the best butterfly dreams, lovelies,

Vic Lipson from TeaButterfly

Still Keen On Caterpillars... ;-)

Hello Lovelies!

photo found on www.jjjound.com

my own caterpillar, just drawn with a pencil:

Maybe this whole caterpillar thing began with the blue hookah-smoking Caterpillar in Alice in wonderland for me. Chilhood memories are so important!


Vic from TeaButterfly.

Why not concentrate on caterpillars?

Hello lovelies,

"Why not concentrate on caterpillars?" asks us the talented Dominique Browning of "Slow Love Life" fame. 


Well, i haven't been around here for quite awhile, and I owe you dear readers an explanation before going on caterpillars! Well... when you've been brought three times, no less, in a single month (May 2010) to the ER at your local hospital, then you need to turn on to your chilhood love(s), namely for me, tea and insects.

So here i am, fully back into drawing daily and writing this Tea & Butterfly blog!

And did I say "butterfly"? Mmmh... that means, oh well... caterpillars first! :grin:

So here I offer you a caterpiller Monday Mosaic, and wish you all a very happy monday indeed!

1. Chenille de Bombyx à livrée (Malacosoma neustria) The Lackey caterpillar, 2. la chenille ne tient qu'a un fil, 3. Chenille Machaon (Papilio machaon) Swallowtail Caterpillar

Don't forget to click on the links and go visit the original photos of these talented photographers... you might learn somethin' about funky caterpillars...

See you tomorrow with a hand drawn caterpillar of my own...

my best,

Vic from TeaButterfly.