People I Love: Sara

There are friends in your life that make an impact on you and your life. They are the ones who through thick & thin you KNOW you can turn to. The ones that you have more stories together then you can count. The memories, experiences and life lessons that you had together really meant something and STILL mean something.

Sara is one of those friends to me. There's not a person in the world that I get more dancey & silly with. We're not normal.

Sara and I went to preschool together, and we were the "Queen Bees "of that little church preschool. After preschool we went our separate ways but over the years I always remember her name coming up with soccer friends and other friends who went to her elementary and middle school.

Sara Gliebe is not one to forget.

During our freshman orientation I wanted to reconnect and meet as many people as I could from the other main middle school that our high school was combining with. And when I saw Sara (and her older sis Lexie) I walked right up to them and re-introduced myself.

Our friendship snowballed from there and we instantly hit it off. As Sara recalls I was the funky, slightly dorky friend with a camera around her neck.

Um not much has changed, right?

Sara's family even "took me in" when my parents got divorced. I needed an escape and Sara's family let me stay over EVERY single weekend of Sophomore year when I was dealing with my changed home life. I needed an outlet and being silly with Sara was the direction I took.

We did stuff like driving around town, squirting people with squirt guns, ordering Big Macs from Jack in the Box or sitting "farmer style" (Lexie, Sara and I sitting three to the front in Lexie's station wagon).

We were WEIRD!

Oh and we wanted Facebook before there was Facebook. We would drive around town just to see what people were up to, sometimes taking unexpected pictures of people when they were getting out of their cars to use the local payphone (yup, I'm that old).

This behavior which we found to be silly was not understood by the popular senior girls and eventually Sara and I were dubbed the "Stalker Bitches" and were significantly harassed (rumors were spread, people tried to run us over, someone even had a loud speaker in their car which people would get on and yell at us as we walked to our cars). I even had someone do an "11" (peeling out) on my parents front lawn. Some of our friends even joined in on the fun because, well, it was cool. The senior girls and boys were doing it.

All Sara and I wanted to do was laugh, dance and be silly.

But Sara and I stood strong, we knew that behind closed doors people really liked us. Although the constant bullying lead us to make some poor decisions, which eventually resulted in us attending the local community college. Soon after Sara moved to San Diego and our paths drifted apart once again. We kept in touch, and saw each other once year when Sara was in town for Christmas. But we were never as close as we were in high school.

Back in August when I announced my divorce Sara was one of the first people to call and see how I was. She invited me to come down to Hermosa Beach and stay with her for Labor Day weekend, I already had plans to go to Oregon so I thanked her for the invite and promised I would take her up on the offer.

When I hung up the phone I thought about my schedule and realized I didn't have plans for the following weekend, and I immediately called her back and I asked if that weekend would work, luckily it did. I booked a flight went down. Right away Sara and I picked up right back where we left off. And I couldn't have been happier about it.

I'm so happy to have Sara in my life, back in my life, and am MORE then grateful to have a new place to couch surf on the regular. And I'm SO HAPPY to have my favorite tiny dancer back in my life.

It's funny how the more things change the more they stay the same.

Never forgot those people, friendships and experiences that changed and shaped your life.

I know I never will.

LOVE YOU SARA & THE WHOLE G-CLAN!!

Things That Make Me Smile: Teenage Dreams

Like Katie Perry I'm a teenage dreamer and I'm a California girl, so naturally I'm a sucker for surfers. As a teenager I was pretty much obsessed wih Roxy Quicksilver and all that it encompassed, it was the California life I wanted. My room was littered with Roxy & Quicksilver ads and posters featuring all my favorite surfers. Kelly Slater being my favorite surfer and surfer boy crush at the time. It was Teenage Dreamin (or California Girlin it) at it's best.

In September when I attended my first Surf competition in Hermosa Beach I saw ads for the Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere in San Francisco and I knew had to attend. After checking the event out more I came to find that Kelly Salter was lined up to clinch his 11th World Title -- umm SICKNESS. I knew I had to be there to witness it, and I sure did.

I headed out Tuesday to watch the event solo and the weather was perfect and the waves were amazing. Ocean Beach felt like anything but San Francisco and as a Native Bay girl I was proud that San Francisco was being showcased in way that's anything but what you normally picture. Eighty degrees on the beach up North?

Yup it happens this time of the year.

Kelly didn't get a chance to clinch on Tuesday, so yesterday Gigi and I headed back out and watched history go down as Kelly shredded the waves up and then was awarded his 11th world title. It was one of those moments and events that I'll never forget and I am so glad I made the effort to go (the feeling reminded me a bit like going to the World Series Parade, which I also went to solo). Gigi and I got to watch Kelly Slater accept the title from the VIP lounge, thanks to Gigi's friends Lindsey and Andy (of San Franpyscho) and we got to go an awesome after party. It was an amazing day to say the least!!

I believe you're never too old to remember what you loved as a kid and teenager. And you're never too old to live out your dreams.

Yesterday I was not only able to only check "seeing Kelly Slater surf in person" off my bucket list, I also witnessed sports and surfing history.

I'm a California Dreamer, alright. And if you're not already living your dream, go dream and LIVE!!

Blog Award: Confessions of a Shopaholic

LC from Let them Eat lentils (how CUTE is that blog name!?) nominated me for A Beautiful Blog Award over on her blog. THANK YOU LC! =) LC and I meet back in October at Kath's Kerf meetup, love that girl, we need to meetup again soon! I am so grateful to have meet so many great blog friends. Anyways I am supposed to list 7 random facts about me and then pass it on to 7 more amazing bloggers.

I could NOT think of anything but here it goes!

1.My Mom was born and raised in Prague but shamefully I have never been and can't speak a lick. But we plan to go this summer and I cannot wait!!Image from http://www.incoczech.com
2.I am not a "beauty" person. I can't do makeup or hair at all, headbands are my friend. Good thing my good friend Jen helps me out it in that department.

3.Most of the new friends I have made over the past 4 years have been online ones and I have become extremely close with them. #iknowsomeonelikethat

4.For a high school project my Parents arranged for me to fly down to the Roxy Quicksilver headquarters so I could meet their clothes designers and job shadow them. Pretty much awesome since 15 year old Amber was obsessed with Roxy at the time, case in point...WOW! ....Dad that was for you ;)

5.I love Seinfeld, HIMYM,The Big Bang Theory, SNL, Friends, and most recently Tosh.0. Basically I love comedies and comedians, and I feel like I kind of missed the boat on the whole Reality TV thing.

6. I am a complete and total Star Wars Geek. Definitely expect a Princess Leia and Senator Padmé Amidala/Queen of Naboo Style Icon post one of these days......seriously, they have LEGEN- wait for it -DARY style. Bigger Nerd could I be?

7. I am a huge baseball fan. And I mean HUGE! Go GIANTS! 102 days until Opening Day =)

Ok now my turn to pass the torch. I nominate some of my favorite ladies
*participation not required =)

1. Kara from Fashionably inspired, love this girl! One of my online friends turned real friends.

2. Chelsea, I meet Chelsea at Kath's KERF meetup and became fast blog friends, I*heart* her!

3. Nicole we have been online friends for awhile now, and face it that chick has STYLE!

4.Lynn who I need to meet-up with soon. She is my future best blog friend.

5.Brittany from It's Exhausting Being This Juicy! Such a sweetie, with a closet that I want to raid.

6. J from the Look for less because she is just straight up rad.

7. Andrea from Faded Plains. Because her store rocks and we share a love of ruffles.

May the Force be with you =)