Graveyard Picnic and Tarot

I had a fantastic time this past weekend. I spent Saturday catching up with old friends and doing some Tarot reading for some lovely ladies. A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday we had an impromptu picnic at the biggest Cemetery in town. The food was fantastic and we all had on beautiful dresses for a summer day. We sure know how to do a picnic the right way! 

For the love of Sedona Arizona

My Hubby surprised me this year with a very special birthday gift. He planned a week to spend in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. We were blessed with unseasonably hot weather for February the week we were there. Most days were bright and sunny and in the 20s (Celsius). Originally we were supposed to go to New Orleans for this trip but we kept getting signs to go to Sedona. Several different people mentioned it to us including a psychic who told me I would have a spiritual epiphany on this trip.

Sedona has two sides to it. The expensive tourist trap side and the mystical spiritual side. If you are careful to avoid the first side and plan your days around the second side it can be a truly magical place to visit. Sedona is full of beautiful scenery. The red rock mountains are always in the background no matter where you are in the city. There is plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy all week long including hiking and cycling. This was the view from our hotel room. Spectacular! 

We spent our first day getting acquainted with Sedona by taking the Trolley Tour and walking around the Main Street downtown. I can highly recommend the Trolley Tour. It was a good first thing to do because they highlight everything to see in town including a stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The Chapel is built right into the side of one of the mountains. You really have to see and experience the positive energy in person. The chapel is built on one of the many energy vortexes in Sedona. A feeling of peace and serenity surrounds it. It was the first energy vortex we experienced on the trip. A word to the wise though, be careful not to fall for any of the cheap deals advertised in town on Pink Jeep tours or helicopter rides because it's actually a Time Share company preying on unsuspecting tourists. Buy your tickets for the tours by the companies that actually run them. Buyer beware! 

The next day we took a Pink Jeep tour out to the Hopi ruins Honanki. It was another excellent tour. The ruins are full of hieroglyphs that are thousands of years old. We learned all about the Native American tribes that lived in Sedona including the peaceful Hopi. We learned how they not only survived in the desert but thrived there. I found the Hopi legends and mythology especially fascinating. I love to learn about ancient cultures so I did my own research later at the hotel and learned more detail about Kokopelli and Spider Grandmother.  

We also hiked Bell Rock that day. It was the second energy vortex we visited on the trip. One of the special things about Sedona are the natural energy vortexes. An energy vortex is a subtle swirling of earth energy. Some spots felt like the the energy is swirling up (masculine) and some felt like it was swirling down (feminine).  You know you are in the right spot when the Juniper trees start to look all twisted and misshapen. I am extremely energy sensitive so I could feel it as soon as we arrived in Sedona but some spots are much stronger than others. You can read more about the energy vortexes on John and Micki's Metaphysical Site. Bell Rock felt energized with positive energy. People love to hike all the way to the top for the views. 

The next day we rented bikes from a local shop and spent the day mountain biking with friends. We were very lucky to meet up with some cycling friends from Ontario. They showed us some beautiful trails but I also realized just how much I need to train before cycling season. Ugh. And then we went for dinner and drinks. Drinks must always follow a day of mountain biking. There are no exceptions! 

On to the Grand Canyon next! We took another Pink Jeep tour to the Grand Canyon. It was an all day affair. Our guide drove us there and back. He wasn't all that talkative but the scenery pretty much speaks for itself. Spectacular views the whole day. There are no guard rails around the canyon. So watch your step, it's only a 6000ft. drop to the bottom!  

For our last day we took the time to explore a few more energy vortexes. We stopped briefly at the airport vortex but there were no available parking spots. It was just as well because I really hated the masculine energy at the airport. It felt angry and irritating. Not at all what I want to experience while on vacation.  So we set out to find Buddha Beach at the foot of Cathedral Rock instead. It was a long hike in but so worth it, because it was the most magical place in the whole city. It's hard to put the feeling in to words but mostly it feels like Mother Nature is giving you a giant bear hug. It's peaceful and tranquil.  The perfect spot for meditation and building rock art. If Faeries live in Sedona they most certainly reside on Buddha Beach. 

Oh look... It's a goth in a tree! 

We finished the trip with a nice afternoon stroll around a quaint little Mexican village filled with pretty boutiques. The village looks like it's hundreds of years old but actually it was built in the 70s. The designer studied authentic Mexican architecture and then copied it in a pretty spot by the river filled with large oak trees. We didn't buy a thing that day but we did have a fantastic dinner at the Mexican restaurant. The best shopping in Sedona is actually all the mystical shops. They are everywhere but my favourite one was called Crystal Magic. There are beautiful crystals, tarot cards, and metaphysical books in every store and psychics too. I did not get a reading while in Sedona, it's just to expensive. I'll wait and visit my favourite psychics at home. 

We can't wait to go back again.  A week was just too short. Until next time Arizona. Cheers! 

Goth Day at the Beach!

How do Goths arrive at the beach in style? Why of course they drive custom hearses! We pulled up to the sunny beach in in Wasaga, Ontario in vintage hearses. These beautiful old hearses do seem to get quite a bit of attention! A few onlookers stopped to ask us if we were filming a movie. Nope, it's just the local Ontario hearse club called Black Widow Hearse Club!

We found a spot on the beach and set up quickly. It was pretty easy to spot our group in a crowd with all the black parasols. We managed to create some nice shade for ourselves. 

In case you were wondering what Goths wear to the beach. The answer is black, black, and more black! We also added some fabulous custom sunglasses from Black Orchid Designs and topped it off with black lipstick of course. 

I seem to be the only one breaking the colour code with my black and red 50s style playsuit and huge red sun hat. I made it custom for beach day because I've always wanted to make one. So I took advantage of goth beach day and created exactly what I wanted. I used a cotton Halloween spider print and accented with red. know I'll wear it again soon though. 

Most of the time we enjoyed the local scenery and hid from the burning day star under our parasols. We piled on the 100 SPF sun block to avoid the dreaded tan or worse the lobster red burn. Large sun hats also helped. 

Here is Scary Kerri under her vintage parasol that is customized with bats. She is so very pretty dressed all in black lace and a sheer cover up. 

We did venture out for a swim also. Here is the beautiful Miss E in a black vintage 40s swimsuit and matching swim cap heading out to the water. She looks like a famous silver screen actress in that suit! 

But then the clouds started rolling in. We all seemed to enjoy the beach more once the sun wasn't so brite. Ha! However, there was a huge storm brewing over the water and it was headed straight for us. We packed up and had just enough time to finish a very impressive sand sculpture featuring the Hearse Club logo. 

It seems that when the Goths show up at the beach, we bring the apocalypse with us! A Tornado touched down in a nearby town soon after this photo was taken. It was a long wet drive back home but it was so worth the fun! Thanks so much to Nicole from New Girl in Toronto for all the wonderful photos.