A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies – My Vintage Picks Of The Week

I am fortunate enough to live in an area of Southern Arizona that is a gateway for the semi-annual migration of monarch butterflies. It’s hard to imagine the delicate-looking creatures flying thousands of miles from their breeding grounds to an “overwintering” location in southern Mexico and yet they do. Every year, twice a year, guided strictly by celestial clues. Obviously, they believe in strength in numbers because there are literally hundreds of thousands of butterflies that pass through my corner of the world in an awe inspiring kaleidoscope of color.

This week’s picks are brought to you by Linda of Selective Salvage.

Amish Butterfly Pen Wipe w/Provenance

Offered by Americana Antiques on Etsy

What I like about this:  If you are one of our regular readers, it will come as no surprise that a piece of American folk art is the headliner of my picks this week.  And this charming Amish pen wipe is most definitely the real deal. It is featured in the book “Folk Art for Children: Handmade in America 1760-1940” which makes it a butterfly with a pedigree.

French Turquoise and Pearl Butterfly Pin

Offered by SomeSpecialSaphrites on Etsy

Why did this catch my eye? Vintage pins are my go-to piece of jewelry. The fact that this majestic butterfly boasts turquoise cabochons makes it the perfect addition to an Arizona outfit.

1980s Butterfly Style Chair with Memphis Style Fabric

Offered by Savior of Style on Chairish

And these beauties? Granted they will never migrate south but these butterfly chairs are spectacular nonetheless. The chair was designed in Argentina by architects for a building in Buenos Aires and became popular in the US in the 1940s when the design was added to the Knoll line. This pair is particularly cool because of the fabulous Memphis Style fabric.

If you aren’t lucky enough to live on the migratory path of monarch butterflies, you may not know they are an endangered species. That’s why we’ve planted milkweed in our yard which is the ONLY thing they eat. If you are interested in what you can do to help ensure their survival, check out the work that is being done by “Save Our Monarchs” and Greenpeace.

P.S. If you wonder what the reference to a “kaleidoscope of butterflies” in the title of this post means….that’s what people in the know call a group of them. Cool, huh? There are more fun names for a bunch of animals in this glossary compiled by the good folks at Your Dictionary.

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