^ Top of Cathedral Rock. There is a fearless guy on the edge taking a selfie.
It was a long drive through the night and we couldn’t see anything surrounding us as we arrived, but we finally made it to Sedona! We were only staying for one day so we knew we had to jam pack our ONE day with as many activities and sightseeings as possible. We had read about the infamous energy vortexes that claim to have healing and uplifting effects, so naturally, we were interested in checking them out. Thankfully, you have to hike to get to them, killing two birds with one stone! (don’t you just hate that saying, I’m sure PETA agrees, I’m going to come up with something a little less violent for the future). While in bed, Jamie mapped out our hikes for the next day.
When morning came, I was so excited to go outside and see the beautiful red rocks we couldn’t appreciate the night before. Our first stop was the Boyton Canyon Vortex, it was a very mild hike to get to. There was a magical sound drifting through the air, someone was playing the flute at the top of the knoll, all you needed to do was follow your ears. On the way, you will notice a lot of unique looking juniper trees that have really twisted branches, that is suppose to signify a very strong energy presence. I did have one experience on this hike, it felt as if a ghost had passed through my body or like the feeling of piercing through one dimension and out to the other. Was it true, or did I give in to a hoax? I’ll never know, but the feeling was definitely there. When we got to the top, we sat a long while basking in the sun and enjoying the view. Our next stop was to conquer Cathedral Rock!
Holy crapola! We had no idea what we were getting into when we hiked up Cathedral Rock. A large part of the climb is so steep, it is almost vertical, people have carved notches into the rock in order to get a better grip. If you are afraid of heights, don’t look down! We got down and dirty clawing our way up. It kinda helps by repeating in your head, I AM a lizard I AM a lizard. The hike was so thrilling and frightening at the same time, and at the end you are rewarded by the (crazy scary high) beautiful views of the city. I was so proud of myself for overcoming all of my self doubts and conquering the fears I had along the way. However, I wasn’t going to gloat until I made it back down in one piece!
After leaving Cathedral Rock, we were able to make it to the Airport Vortex just in time to catch the incredible sunset. We hiked up there with a cup of coffee in hand and a bag of scones. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
When my niece turned 3, she in good taste, requested a Little Mermaid party theme. Every year I have made the sweets for her birthday, but this was one was dear to me, as The Little Mermaid has always been a favorite of mine. I chose to keep the palette soft and sophisticated. I decorated the cake with ombre ruffles in turquoise which is reminiscent of ocean waves. I modeled the mermaid (Ariel) out of fondant and gumpaste and hand painted the facial details using a mixture of vodka and food coloring. I used a fluted circle cookie cutter to make the fondant oyster shell she is sitting inside, cutting notches out of the top part with a xacto knife to look more shell-like. When it was fully dried I painted it with gold luster dust. The cupcakes were all topped with fondant coral pieces I made from using a Martha Stewart silicone mold I found in Michaels. The starfish cookie favors were all decorated with a layer of colored fondant and royal icing dots for the details. I was really happy with the outcome of everything. This theme it is so versatile, it would be so pretty for a beach inspired wedding, maybe omitting the mermaid as the topper and instead designing a large edible coral figure with some shells.
