History of OakAsSocksGrl & #OaklandSockSwag till now!

You might wonder why I go by @OaklandAsSocksGrl right? Well obviously I wear a lot of A's inspired knee socks! There's a pretty decent chance you've seen me ~ a crazy brunette running around the Coli in even crazier socks! But really it all started years ago. I'm a girl with OCD and one day I decided that "white socks are only for the gym" but all other socks had to have "pictures or designs on them." Sure it's a bit strange but hey! It has made sock shopping a lot more fun! I have ones with princesses, hello kitty, flames, skulls, polkadots, thigh high #Throx (http://www.throx.com/) - you name it and I probably have it!

The real deal start last baseball season in 2012! There was a give away of yellow socks for kids. Yes, I "borrowed" my friend's son in order to get these but I love them and it has been well worth it! So I started wearing them every few games in the second half of the season last year!

For Christmas as a tradition my mom always gets herself, my sister in law and me crazy matching socks! For Christmas 2012 they were argyle A's socks! I was over the moon about these! I now had two pair that I could wear!!

At Spring Training the socks kinda took on a life of their own! I wore both pairs on alternating days (washing them at the hotel of course!!) and people - random other smokers (yes I smoke, it's bad I know!), the staff and the vendors all started referring to me as the "Socks Girl" and remembering me each day. Even guys like Bob Welch, the A's team photographer Michael Zagaris and Billy Beane took notice! Billy said I should take it and run with it. Being that he is THE Billy Beane who am I to go against his advice?! That'd be crazy!!

Upon returning home I started not only this blog (I still have a ton of unpublished drafts but they will be up shortly at least I hope so!) but a second Twitter Account @OakAsSocksGrl and began posting pics and promoting them on Facebook, Instagram and Google+! Honestly, I have become A LOT more Social Media savvy and internet savvy! I have been able to make new MANY new friends at the games, gain followers, start somewhat of a trend (one group of girls I saw on BART actually called it the "#SocksMovement!" Whoa!) and was even contacted by the Oakland Athletics and asked to throw out the Ceremonial First Pitch at the A's game! A dream come true for any Die Hard A's Fan!! (my first post on this blog is an account of that experience! http://oakassocksgrl.blogspot.com/2013/05/first-post-first-pitch.html) It has even inspired me to begin working on a book idea that I have had for the past decade but never started because it seemed like such a pipe dream that would never come to fruition  until now!

A Twitter follower of mine, Jamey who is now a close friend, came up with the hashtag #OaklandSockSwag which is my signature hashtag!! And I became the Oakland A's Socks Girl! Since then I have gotten and used other hashtag suggestions such as #OaklandKoozieSwag, #OaklandShoeSwag, #CC (for Celebrity Chick but I don't really consider myself to be a celebrity), #IHellaLoveOakland and #CCDiva. But my mainstay is and always will be #OaklandSockSwag so big shout out to my good friend, Jamey VanDyke!

I even had a meme or two made for me! This is the funniest because I never even noticed the dude on the right there! LOL!

At games I've gotten compliments, had people run up to me introducing themselves, shouting my real name and my Twitter alias, made a TON of really A-mAzing new friends and have an even bigger A's fAnily! (yes, fAnily, I spelled it correctly!) Twitter and Facebook friends can easily become REAL LIFE FRIENDS! I was tweeting these two, Mitch and David, who came and found me sitting in the RF Bleachers one afternoon! More than likely though you will find me behind the A's bullpen in Sect. 128 Row 2 Seat 8! That's my second home!

I also noticed (and purchased a few pair myself) that the Coliseum began selling knee high socks for both women and men! Which I thought was kinda random at first but apparently they're now in demand! I don't take credit for this fact but it's certainly cool to have people wearing them and tweeting/facebooking me pictures of them!! I've even found other pairs online, at sporting goods stores and at places like Target that are not officially A's gear but are still green and gold!

And I see and meet more and more people who are wearing them to the games and even out on the town!
Kinda cool that people are not only wearing their #OaklandSockSwag but they are liking it and Tweeting about it! I was a bit surprised!

Just this past homestand (Yankees and Mariners) alone I was strolling around the Coli and the Coli parking lot, sipping on some beers and I kept running into people with socks and some with crazy #OaklandShoeSwag and #OaklandKoozieSwag as well!

There are even men getting into the action!! I've seen them at the Coli and had pics both Tweeted and Snap Chatted to me by guys who rock their #OaklandSockSwag!! In fact the last pic was just posted on my Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JenRainH20) today by a friend and Twitter follower named Nic! Thanks bro!

Well that is the story of how #OaklandSockSwag came about! And explains part of the reason why you are seeing more and more Oakland A's Green and Gold socks in the world! I can't take all the credit but it's a fun "#SocksMovement" that's starting! What happens next is anybody's guess!

Oh and this is the #OaklandShoeSwag I intend to have made! You can design your own at http://www.converse.com/?CSID=62308_kwid/#/home Have fun kids! Gotta love fun, funky socks and shoes! And as always, LET'S GO OAKLAND!!!!!