I love my readers!

I started writing a short story, about a month or so ago, of some of the characters from the book I will be writing in November. I had a writing date with one of my friends so that we could give each other moral support and encouragement to keep writing (he was writing a song). Well, like I said, it was about a month ago and I definitely didn't finish that day.

So, last night I got the urge to just write something... anything... and I picked up my forgotten short story. Things kept flowing and it felt really good to get it all out and be on my way to a finished product. I am still not done with it, but it's being worked on! 

I read what I have so far to my roommate to get some feedback about it, and she seemed to really like it (but she could just be being nice). HA. Anyways, that act of sharing my story (of which I am personally attached) was a big step for me. Writing this blog has really helped me to open up about my feelings, my fears, and what I am writing in general, which was what I was hoping for when I started back in April.

I just basically wanted to thank all of you for putting up with my writing and for encouraging me the way you do. It really is becoming easier and easier to write, and I have so much fun doing it!

If you all wouldn't mind, I would love to share my short story with you when I have finished it... but you all have got to show me some love on here. :) Start commenting your thoughts, similar experiences, critiques of my writing... anything! Just let me know I can get more personal with you. It really helps when I know what I'm writing and what your reading are more than just my crazy thoughts and stories.

I would also love to know WHO is reading this blog. I was so surprised to find out that my uncle David has read it... he actually commented on one of the posts. (Thanks, David!) See, people I don't even expect to even know about my blog read it. It could be the same with you! I would love for you all to follow me and/or comment on any or all posts. It will be interesting to see who all is in my small audience.

I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!

S10BL: Play by Play

Three pretty ladies and myself were out driving around on Saturday when we see what must have been an accident on Battlefield Parkway. A pedestrian was pummeled by a Jeep Patriot. The police were there to provide help and protection and to promote perpetual safety in the future because preservation of the law is pertinent for perseverance of human life. The paramedics were also there to provide assistance and the use of CPR so that they could prolong the life of the pedestrian who was painfully injured. I am praying for them periodically, that they will not pass and that they will leave the hospital in perfect condition.

Well, we never actually got the real story of what happened because the policemen and paramedics drove off as we got close to the scene. This story, however, was so easy for us to make up because it fit right in with our "Letter Day". If you couldn't already guess, everything about Saturday had to do with the letter P.

I started out my day with a little Pride and Prejudice; we all know how much I love that movie. :) We decided to meet at Panera for lunch. YUM. Our moods suddenly became peppier when we found out that Shelly (my twin!) would be gracing us with her presence. Ash and I pulled up in the Panera parking lot and pranced in to find our friends waiting patiently for us.

We each purposefully dressed for the occasion. Emily: purple tank top, pants, and ponytail with a little "poof" on top. Shelly: pretty dress, purple toe nails, purple purse, and pinned back hair. Ashley: pigtails, pink tank top, and pinched sleeves. Myself: pigtails, purple tank top, pearl earrings, and purple eyeshadow.

So, we ate our lunches (potato soup, poppy seed salads, and other various Panera items) then sat at the table catching up and sometimes pouring our hearts out. When we were finished prattling about the past and our perspective on different things, we pondered about what we should do. We decided to Putt-Putt! We all packed into Em's precious Cali and popped over to Winner's Circle. You'll be happy to know that we played and sang to Parachute on the way over.

We each paid 600 pennies (that's $6 for those who do not have perfect math skills :P) for a round of putt-putting fun. We grabbed our putters and our dark or light pink/purple balls and practiced our hand in golf. I feel proud to say that I was the only person to procure a hole in one. xD However, I did not win the game. Shelly performed powerfully and I am pleased to announce her first place with 53 points. I came in second with 54 points; Ash third with 56; and Emily racked up 57.

After posing for pictures, playing the game, and having a pleasurable time, we drove over to 1980's day in Ringgold to spend a little time in the "past". We probably only stayed there for part of an hour before we realized it was too piping hot and boring to stay around for any longer. We did, however, run in to our friend Leah and her boyfriend. It was just peachy to see them.

It was time to part with Shelly all too soon. We got back to Panera to pick-up our vehicles and properly went our own ways. Ash, Em, and I, though, planned to meet back up at my house so we could go to a park and have a picnic. We each picked what we would bring so we popped over to Wally World to pay for the parts of the picnic that we were bringing.

We pigged out on the following: peanut butter sandwiches, plain pringles, pizza pringles, pickles, powerade, pepsi, and oreo pudding with extra oreos. We also had with us paper plates, paper towels, pink bowls, and pink spoons. As a just-in-case dessert, I also brought peanut butter cups and peanut M&M's. It was a very palatable potluck, of sorts. From there, we proceeded to go to the cheap theater to see a motion picture with some of our friends. It was a raunchy, but particularly funny, sort of movie.

We then headed over to our friends' house so that we could partake in ping-pong. We played games with partners (doubles), round robin, and sting pong. And, please, let me encourage sting pong - whoever gets three points first, gets to use the paddle to pound the ping-pong ball as hard as they can at the other player. It can be painful if the other person doesn't miss, but it's quite hard to hit the opposing player. It is a terribly fun game. We didn't leave their house until about 1:30 am. We became ping-pong addicts.

When Em, Ash, and I finally got home, we had a pajama party... though, we were exhausted so we plunged into bed and closed our peepers for a good night's sleep.


Inspirational Text #8:
Tonight men we draw first blood. By stepping on our field they challenge our final test so make them but another pile of waste that we leave behind on our path of destruction. We've made it this far brothers, finish the mission.
-jcs

Just in case all of you people out there were wondering,
if I am not mistaken,
there are 212 P's in this blog post.
(including title and labels)
Yes, I counted. :D

S10BL: inter-FRIEND-tion

It's fabulous. It's glamorous. It's scandalous... It's Sex and the City.

The sequel premiered Wednesday night at midnight so Ashley, Emily, and I decided to dress up and go. We aimed for the styles of Carrie and the girls. This won't be the only midnight premier we are going to dress up for. xD

It seems everyone else had the same idea as us. Most people that were there to see SATC2 were dressed up like they were ready for a night out in NYC. There was a girl who dressed up in a long, sparkly gold dress. It was actually kind of cute. And the guys, oh the guys... they all wore dress pants and ties, and some even wore vests. They looked awesome, and definitely did not have a weed-eater if you know what I mean. ;)

The movie was an excellent sequel! And, there was not as much nudity as there was in the first movie.. so I was happy about that. There is some nudity and a few graphic scenes, though, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, this movie is not for you. I was very happy with the directions they went with each character. Carrie handled herself very well when she did something she knew was wrong... I was glad she didn't try to lie about it. Samantha was hilarious! She had some very funny lines. Charlotte was a little neurotic this time and had one of the big problems that needed to be worked out. I was glad they switched it up and let her run into a problem this time. Miranda was very calm and sane; she was also very much into the trip and culture. Since she is usually the kind of downer of the group, I was happy to see her bright and peppy. She also was the one to help Charlotte. And I loved how funny she was. We don't usually get to see this side of Miranda; they did very well with her character.

The clothes were just as insane as ever. Some of it looks ridiculous but then again, these are the women who can pull that kind of stuff off. I have always loved the fashion in this series. It's always so fun!

AIDEN. Oh my goodness, Aiden. He came back in this movie and he looked GOOD. Need I say more?

Have any of you seen the movie yet?

What are your thoughts on it?

(Leave me a comment!)

S10BL: ROCK & ROLLercoasters.

On our first day of S10BL, we knocked two activities off of our list: Six Flags and an unbelievable concert.

Sunday, we (Ash, Em, and I) got up early and left for Six Flags at about 7:30 am. We stopped to eat a delicious breakfast at Hardees so that actually put us on the road at about 8. It only takes about an hour and a half to get there from where we live so we arrived an hour early. I suppose we were just too excited to think about the time we'd actually arrive when we planned our day. We're such nerds. :P

We decided to kill some time at Starbucks because we are addicts.

When we finally got to the park, we headed straight for Batman, our favorite ride. We expected to have a little wait since it is such a popular ride, but there was no wait at all! We walked right up to the roller coaster and jumped on. Anxious and excited, we flew through our first ride of the day. Afterwards - both dizzy and pumped - we decided to go back through. Again, there was NO WAIT! Definitely our lucky day. xD

We all agreed that the second time we rode Batman was so much better than the first. I felt like a little kid again!

After that, we met up with Cody (my brother), Paige, and Noah. We decided to go on Batman again so they could ride it. We had a little bit of a wait this time, but no more than 10 minutes. I could tell it was going to be a great day. :)

We then walked around in the blistering heat and rode tons of other rides. I would have to say that Goliath is my new all time favorite ride! As we were riding to the top for the first drop, Emily and Paige freaked out. It was hilarious! Em couldn't even open her eyes. HA. The first drop is (if I heard correctly) at an 80 degree angle, making it such a rush to fly down it. And the rest of the ride was no disappointment. It is seriously the best roller coaster I have ever been on. We rode it two more times throughout the day!

I am convinced we all would have died of a heat stroke if it wasn't for the two souvenir cups we invested in. With free refills all day, we couldn't have had a better deal. Advice: If you go to Six Flags this summer, purchase this cup. It will be the best decision you ever make. ;)

At one point during the day, we stopped at the kids water park to cool off our burning skin. I have never been so appreciative of water. There was a little black boy who absolutely made our day. I suppose he was afraid of the water because he would stand at the very edge of where water was shooting out and make the funniest face I have ever seen. You could tell he wanted to get wet, but it terrified him. I would have taken a picture if I wouldn't have seemed like a stalker. :P

Now for the concerts:
Cartel and All Time Low were amazing! I have loved Cartel for a long time but after that show, I fell in love even more. They sound just like they do on their CD, which is rare these days. And, they are just so cute to watch. xD All Time Low had a great performance. They sounded awesome and had a great on stage presence. They are so funny! Big plus. Cady Groves was so cute (both her personality and her songs). I loved her voice; it was a cross between Cassadee Pope from Hey Monday and Taylor Swift. We actually got to talk to her afterwards and she is so nice and down to earth. If you haven't heard of her, look her up! Boys like Girls were a disappointment. They acted weird on stage and the lead's voice was completely gone. He sounded horrible.. pitchy and straining. These weren't the only bands playing, but we didn't catch any of the other acts (Hanson, Forever the Sickest Kids, etc.).. there was just too much fun to be had. We definitely had a "Six Flays day". haha!

We didn't leave Atlanta until 9 pm, so you can imagine how exhausted we were. As soon as I got home (around 10:30), I got ready for bed and passed out. All in all, it was an AWESOME DAY... fun rides, awesome bands, and amazing company. xD

Left to Right: Noah, Emily, myself, Cody, Ashley, & Paige

Happy Birthday, B!

On this day 25 years ago, the first Smartt child was brought into this world. With chocolate locks and big brown eyes, Brandy made her debut in Chattanooga, TN.

It took all of 5 minutes for my mother to realize her ears were not of a normal human. Panicked, she asked the doctor to perform surgery to correct those big flappers, but the doctor insisted everything would be okay.

That did not change my mom's mind. She and my dad worried for years and years that their daughter would grow up to be a freak who would never find her place in the world.

Luckily, her disability did not hinder her brain and ability to learn. Brandy always made awesome grades and studied more than anyone I knew. She has become an amazing nurse and a great role model to those around her.

Finally, after 25 years, she has grown into her ears and is one of the most beautiful people I know.

*******

Okay, maybe most of that story is completely false, but it IS her birthday and this very special day deserves a very special celebration.

Brandy is a quarter of a century old!

That is:

-25 years

or

-300 months

or

-1,305 weeks

or

-9,131 days

or

-219,159 hours

or

-13,149,597 minutes

or

-788,975,856 seconds

Geez, my parents must feel so old. xD

Seester, sorry to say that you can't say you're the only one to be brought into life on this day.. but, you do share your day of birth with some interesting people: Lenny Kravitz (1964), Hank Williams Jr (1949), and John Wayne (1907).

Well, I just wanted to wish you a very happy anniversary of the day your were surgically removed from your mother's uterus by a Cesarean section because you were either putting her life or health at risk. I sure hope its a swell day for you. :o)

Happy Birthday, B!
I love you so much and I am so proud

to call you my sister. You are an amazing

person, sister, wife, step-mother xD,

daughter, cousin, granddaughter, nurse,

and BEST FRIEND.

S10BL: Summer '10 Bucket List

I've got loads to share but unfortunately, I have been without a computer this week so I'm holding off on writing my big stories until Leah returns home.

I can, however, go ahead and fill you in on a few of my awesome summer plans. Emily, Ashley, and I have made a bucket list for this summer with some pretty exciting events. Right now, I think we have 34 things in our list, but we are likely to keep adding more. And don't worry, there will be pictures for you all to see as we progress. :)

I suppose we started this list as just some fun things we could do this summer but it quickly grew into a celebration of us being young, single, and not having anything or anyone to holding us down or stopping us. It's all very exciting.

We just conquered two of the events on Sunday. (A blog is coming soon to explain.) We've got another one for tomorrow night that I am so very excited about! These pictures will be awesome! xD

If you have any suggestions of some fun things you would like to see us do, leave me a comment! (Hey, you could also donate to our awesome summer ... I'll call it Funds for Fun. :P ) Ahh, corny joke.. I'm corny, but I'm okay with that fact. *insert cheesy grin*


I have typed up this entire draft on my iTouch in the notes app. I feel so accomplished. xD

Inspirational Text #7:
Brothers the battle is upon us. We must clear our spot at the top and make everyone know that they are mere humans. No weapon formed against us shall prosper so lets take them down in fiery rain and destroy whatever stands in our way.
-jcs

Mi familia.

I would like to introduce you to my family. I can honestly say that I love them with all of my heart and that they made me who I am today. I am so blessed to have these wonderful people in my life.

Let me share a little bit about myself before I begin: I am 21 years old. I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. I work for an Optometrist at the moment but it is definitely not my career choice. I was born in Chattanooga, TN but grew up in North Augusta, SC. Both of my parents are from here and this is where all of my extended family is. I moved back to Chattanooga in the summer of '07 for college. I have only been to one year of college (2007-2008) and went to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for that year. I have no clue of what I want to do with my life. I have two older sisters and a younger brother; they are my very best friends and could not imagine my life without them.

(p.s. I'll be the extra person in most of these pictures! xD)

This is Cody. He is 19 years old. He is the author of the inspirational texts that I put in my blog. Cody is very athletic and enjoys most sports; soccer, though, is his favorite and he is a superb player. He is starting school in the fall to be an X-ray tech. My brother is an amazing Christian and I am very proud of the man he has become. He is definitely someone I look up to, even though he is younger than me. I admire his character and his loyalty. He would go to the ends of the earth for the ones he loves. He still lives in SC so I don't get to see him as often as I'd like to. I usually go to Cody first about any decision I have to make because he always encourages me and pushes me to make the right decision. He also has a way of talking me into doing things that I wouldn't normally do; and I really like that about him. xD

His nicknames from me: Bubby and The Bear Jew

Meet Ashley. She is 22. Ash and I are 14 months apart so we grew up with people thinking we were twins. Of course, it didn't help that our momma dressed us alike. She is very strong in her faith and hugely opinionated. She is not afraid to share her opinions with people. I admire that about her. She is very honest and doesn't let embarrassment or pride get in the way. She is also very protective of her family, especially me. Ash has always looked out for me and my feelings and that is something I really appreciate. I love being around her because she always makes me laugh. Seriously, I laugh at just about everything she says. She has the best kind of humor; it is very dry and sarcastic. All of my siblings and I are very sarcastic people but she is the funniest. I wish I was more like her in that way.

Nicknames: Ace and Ash

This is Brandy. She is 24 (and will be 25 on May 26th). She has been married for a little over a year now. Her new last name: Kennedy. She is a nurse in West Virginia... It's so far away :( Brandy is probably the person that I look up to most. She is an amazing Christian woman and wife. She lives for the Lord and it shows in everything that she does. I feel like I can blame my passionate love of movies on her. We starting hanging out more when I was a junior in high school. We bonded mostly over Gilmore Girls and movies. She would take me to the movie theater all the time, and when we weren't at the theater, we'd rent a movie or two. Those years before she moved to Tennessee were some of the best years of my life.

Nickname: b.smartt ("b" for short)

This is the newest addition to our family, Mat Kennedy. (Sorry, Mat... I couldn't find a GOOD picture of just me and you. We need to change that.) He and Brandy married back in April of 2009. He is a youth pastor in Charleston, WV. My family first met Mat when he came to my extended family's church in Tennesse to be the youth pastor. I have learned from the years he was there that he is a very dedicated youth pastor. He loves the kids with his whole heart and will do anything he can to help them. Mat really goes above and beyond. I've seen youth pastors only work when they have to (Sundays and Wednesdays) but Mat is always doing stuff for and with his kids. Any church is lucky to have him on staff. I am very blessed to have such a God fearing man as a brother. I can call on him for anything. And, he is such a joy to be around. He is hilarious without even trying to be. Brandy is very lucky to have him as a husband and she definitely could not have chosen a better man.

Nickname: MJKennedy (I'm not even sure he knew that... haha)

This is my nephew Bruiser. He is huge and slobbery with the cutest face ever. His farts are the worst smell on this planet, but I love him anyways. Bread is his favorite food. If you even say the word bread, he goes crazy. I love to tease him with a slice or two and then throw it on the floor so he can eat it... in ONE BITE. I love it when he rests his head on whoever he is near so they will give him attention. So adorable. xD

Nickname: Bru-bru

Here is the woman who gave birth to me. Her name is Angie. She still lives in SC so I miss her like crazy. She really has a big heart and is such a giver. And if you were wondering, that's where I get it from. People tell me I look just like her which makes me very happy because she is beautiful; inside and out. If you held up a picture of her when she was younger beside a picture of me when I was younger, you would think I was a clone. It's crazy. She has always been such a loving mom, encouraging us and helping us to become who we wanted to be. She and my dad did such an amazing job raising us. They trusted us fully and did not limit what we could and could not do. We, for the most part, always did the right thing and grew up to be great people. (Or I think so, at least. :D )

Nickname: Momma


That's my daddy. His name is John. He is an engineer at SRS and such an intelligent man. He and I are so much alike. My dad is a quiet person until you really get to know him. He is the one my siblings and I get our humor and quick wit from. I just love being around him because he always cracks me up. He really can turn any situation into a reason to laugh. I really admire my daddy. He was always the one to fix things when they were broken and explain the things that were hard to understand. He is very talented musically. I don't think there is an instrument that he can't play or that he wouldn't be able to teach himself to play. He loves each of us for who we are and supports the decisions we make. He is such an awesome dad. :)

Nickname: Daddy

Cassie needs a Mac.

Well, a week has gone by... I officially suck at blogging.

Many, many things have happened during this week, some of which I will leave out only because it doesn't need to be out in the internet world.

Two of my friends from where I grew up (North Augusta) came to visit for the weekend. We had such a great time! I laughed more in those three days than I ever have before. One of the reasons is because of PhotoBooth on Ashley's (my friend, not sister) Mac. Here are a few of the pictures we have taken:

And that is only a tiny amount of pictures we took. Hilarious videos were also made! You can see all of the pictures and videos on my FaceBook. My sister is probably the funniest person ever! xD

It was so good to catch up with my friends. There was so much to talk about that three days were not enough. So I expect lots more visits. :)

We also didn't even get to make a dent in our Chattanooga Bucket List, so we have to make sure they come back so we can conquer everything we had planned.

*

My new obsession is Pride and Prejudice. I have seen it countless times in the past week. I'm sure some of my friends will probably get sick of me saying things about it, but it is such a great story. And you wouldn't think it, but the book is classified as a romantic comedy, and I can definitely see why. There are parts of the movie that are very comical. I love the sarcasm and awkward moments. My siblings and I are very sarcastic people (we get it from my daddy) so I feel I can relate to Elizabeth Bennet in that way. And Mr. Darcy... what a man. xD

I started reading the book today. In a way, some of it is hard to understand but since I've seen the movie and know what is going on, it's more easily understandable. I think I'm going to really like it.

Have any of you seen or read it? What are your thoughts?

*

Inspirational Text #6:

Remember men that these are our proving grounds and we control our own destiny. On this night may we rain down on them with an unrelenting force and when we have them begging, we hit them even harder. Do not let up, do not stop. Tonight we taste victory at any cost.

-jcs

Stupid Stapler.

I am OCD about many things... but one of my biggest pet peeves (@ work) is when this stapler is not pushed up against that tan post beside the germ-X. It kind of stresses me out and unless it gets fixed, I feel like I am crawling out of my skin.

Is that weird? Probably... but it's just one of those things, yah know?

You look better than I remember.

So, I'm writing a short story with my WriMo characters, and I want to put it on here, I've just got to get the nerve to do so. It is not finished yet, so I wouldn't be able to post it today anyways. I suppose I'll get my sister and possibly a few others to read, edit, and tear it apart so it is public domain worthy.

The story is from Blake Avery's point of view. It is her sister's wedding day. I still have yet to decide on Blake's sister's name. Suggestions are welcomed and encouraged! I did choose her husband to be Anthony Spencer, though. (Thanks to Cody for the first name and Ashley for the last xD) I like involving the people around me and asking them for their suggestions. Makes it fun!

This wedding is kind of a part of the novel I will be writing. I believe Blake will look back to the wedding during the first couple of chapters because of the events that will be occurring.

I love weddings. I got to attend one on Saturday for some people I know from church. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was simple and cute. They chose daisies as the flowers. I love daisies. xD The reason I brought up this wedding was to tell you of an almost compliment my sister and I received...

We were talking to a friend of ours and this man and his wife walk up to us.
"Ashley and Cassie?" he asks, pointing to the wrong person as he said each name.
"I'm Ashley," replies my sister, looking at me with bewildered eyes. I could read from her expression that, along with myself, she had no idea who this man was that knew us by name.
He mumbles about a few things and introduces us to his wife. Several minutes passed and then he asks me about my photography and if I had been doing anything with it lately so it finally sparks the memory of this man in my brain. He once led a Bible study we were a part of. Phew, relief.
Ash still has no clues but she plays it off smoothly, like always.
He starts to say his goodbyes and this is his parting line after really looking at us one more time... no joke...
"You two look better than I remember."
HA. Thanks? I think it was supposed to be a compliment but it sounded really strange. Well, we did happen to be dressed in our best for the wedding... that may have swayed his opinion. haha

I, of course, couldn't stop laughing.

Anyway, I am really excited for this weekend! My friends from SC are coming to stay with me for a few days. And I do believe we are going to try contra dancing! This is going to be so much fun.


Inspirational Text #5:
Job 39:22-24. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.... this, men, will be the words that we live by as we weather this storm. We shall fear no one and rejoice at the sight of battle. So give them nothing... but take from them everything!
-jcs