I’d like to take a min, just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the creator of Pitch Black Glitter.

My name is Sarena and I was born and raised in CALIFORNIA, bay area to be specific, Livermore to be exact. Livermore was much smaller, population about 56k in the 90’s but has since grown to be over 85k and counting. There are still only 2 high schools (Go Matadors!) but the wide open spaces have been filled in over the years. 

I’m a millennial and proud of it! I love that I knew a life before the internet, social media, and the invention of the smart phone. It was a time before what was known as Y2K and the only AI we knew was IBM’s Watson. 

I grew up in a world TECHNOLOGY MIXED WITH ART. I started taking dance lessons from a local studio when I was 5 or 6 years old and it was a part of my life until I became a proper adult with a regular 9-5 and had to pay rent. I learned how to play the flute in the 5th grade but was in band till my junior/ senior year of high school branching out into the world of both drum majoring and color guard. 

Childhood Vibes

I was a TOM BOY with a dad who believe that girls were more than just soft and pretty. He taught me how to work on cars, have a love for woodworking, and even how to block a punch. He introduced me to his love for boats and being on the water with some occasional time spent in the snow. He was of two worlds, New England where he was born and raised and the Silicon Valley in which he moved in the 70’s and became his life for many decades. He’s been one of my best friends since I was in high school and I love that I get to call him my dad!

My birth mom and I have not had a relationship since I was in my 20’s but it was complicated since I was born. To be clear, it was my choice to part ways. My birth mother did the best she could to raise me and my older ½ brother, but parent and child relationships CAN BE COMPLICATED! My parents got divorced when I was a teen and then went to live with my dad. I’ve struggled with mental health most of my life and have also been blessed with being ADHD and dyslexic. Thats my since of sarcasm taking center stage. My life might be different but not unheard of, everyone has a backstory, this just happens to be mine.

Don’t let the prior situation confuse you, I do have two wonderful parents with the addition of my bonus family whom I’ve been blessed with for 25 years this month. It brought to my life a younger sister and brother, many cousins, aunts, uncles, and so many others I call family. In fact, MOST OF MY FAMILY IS NOT BLOOD RELATED at all but it’s not less or lacking by any means. 

Fast Forward

It’s now 2026, I’m in my early 40’s, I have never been married, and chosen not to have kids. If that wasn’t too much for you, lets keep going because it gets better!

I may not have lived a conventional life but I also don’t live with regrets anymore. Any regret I had in the past, I dealt with in my 30’s head on with all the tears and emotions. I now choose to live life knowing I’ve done my best but with equal understanding that THERE IS STILL SO MUCH LIFE TO LIVE. 

I didn’t start out in tech, in fact I started off in customer service and sales, starting to work for companies at the age of 15. It wasn’t till 2009 when my life merged with the world of tech in the SILICON VALLEY and I didn’t look back. It started in Semiconductor but since 2014 has been in the Software Enterprise world. For over 10 years I have lived a very fascinating and fast paced life in the world of tech. It’s brought me to Europe, Canada, and parts of the US. I’ve met some cool people, and a lot of my colleges have grown into true friends. I’ve been very lucky. 

As fulfilling as life has been, there is a side of me that doesn’t get to be utilized in my 9-5 life. For starters and much to my surprise, I move from CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS in 2021, Dallas to start and now Plano since last fall. The lady I am lucky enough to call one of my best friends lives near by along with my sister and her family. My parents along with my brother and his family all live south closer to Austin. 

A Little More About Me

Black has been my favorite color since I was a kid. I’m a Leo, I studied photography in school, I love coffee, travel, and music most of all. My favorite cites in the US are Morro Bay, Las Vegas, and New York City. My musical interest ranges from classical, country, R&B, hip hop and rap to alternative, rock and even polka.  I can sew, quilt, scrapbook but in my closet you will find power tools of all kinds. I dabble in stained glass, woodworking, hydroponic, gardening, home decor, but mostly EVERYTHING DIY. I love glitter and sawdust. I’m Italian and Native American mixed with a lot of European ancestry. I’m an original murderino/ true crime junkie before either of those were a thing. I’m a sucker for a good documentary and sometimes, even a bad one. 

I LOVE to COOK but I’m not a baker, I hate to measure and follow recipes. I’m either always in the kitchen or not at all. My last day of meal might include fried egg and waffles or bagel and lox with coffee for breakfast. A steak Caesar salad with sweet potatoes french fries and a Shirley temple for lunch. Garlic bread with linguini and clams and a glass of red wine for dinner. Desert would either be a root bear float, cheesecake, or gummy bears. BTW did I mention I’m lactose intolerant, sensitive to too much gluten, and don’t really like chocolate. 

I lost my first dog Rio Mason back in 2023 after 17 ½ years together but I am still blessed to be the mom to 3 FUR KIDS. My oldest at 16, Enzo Louis who’s a male back cat and loves food and sleep most of all. Theres Ziva Quin who’s my younger female black cat who will be 8 in August and is a perfect combination of sweet, sassy, and independent badass. California Marie who is Cali for short is about to turn 3 and she’s a female black YorkiePoo who reminds me what puppy energy really is and is the extravert to my introvert. Yes, all my kids have first, middle, and last names. Don’t yours….?

Some of My Favorite Things

TV Shows: Law and Order, Murder She Wrote, CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Burn Notice, Only Murders in the Building, Big Bang Theory, The Nanny, Star Trek Next Gen, Numb3rs, Bones, Are You Being Served, Design on a Dime, Antiques Road Show, The Magic School Bus, and so much more. 

Movies: I have been known to watch TV shows and movies over and over but my all time favorite movie is the 1986 classic Top Gun! My favorite Disney movie is 101 Dalmatians. Favorite original black and white is the Philadelphia Story. 

Actors and Actresses: Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Whoopie Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Hugh Jackman, Keanu Reeves, Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, and Reese Witherspoon to name a few.

Comedians: Carol Burnett, George Carlan, Margaret Cho, Jeff Foxworthy, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Wanda Sykes, Ron White, Robins Wiliams, and Ali Wong. More recently it’s been Joe Drombrowski, Jo Koy, Sarah Millican, Iliza Shlesinger, and Taylor Tomlinson.

Songs: Nothing but the Tail Lights, Gangsta’s Paradise, Play That Song, Been Like This, Woman, What Them Girls Like, Make Me Loose Control, House of the Rising Sun, California Love, Rainbow Connection, and September. Wherever I hear any these songs my mood instantly shifts and I will play it on repeat.

Music Artist/ Group: Aerosmith, Avril Lavigne, Billy Joel, Boyz 2 Men, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Eminem, Enrique Inglesias, Enya, Garth Brooks, Green Day, Pink, Queen, Nate Dogg, The Beach Boys, and Will Smith. Honestly it’s hard to narrow it down to even this.

Smells: Coppertone sunscreen, rain, coffee, hot gasoline, campfires, garlic, and pumpkin spice.

Favorite Season: Fall