I really should be heading to bed, but I'm waiting for my banana bread to finish baking. Dave and I didn't eat all our bananas from last week, so being the frugal girl I am, I decided it would be a good idea to make banana bread. Mix in a desire to watch the latest talent show on TV at 7, a great phone conversation with a friend at 8, and 2 train delays (one where the train came to a complete stop) on the trip to and from the grocery store for the remaining ingredients, and you end up with a baking project that starts at 9:30 and continues until 11. Oops! Hopefully the results of my attempt will make this late night worth it.

In other news, I finished the Shopaholic book I've been reading since last week. I'd heard mixed reviews of this series by Sophie Kinsella, and I must admit I wasn't that into the story when I began reading the book last week. But in the last few days, something about the story clicked and I found myself staying up late last night to read more and making sure I read a couple of chapters during my lunch break (a time when I'm usually checking blogs).  It ended up being really good, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Well, the timer just went off for my banana bread! Later, friends!

I've always heard from friends who have gotten married how crazy busy the week before the wedding is. I realized this, but I don't think it ever truly sank in. Instead of sleeping in then leisurely running errands each day like I'd pictured this week would be, I woke up at 5:45, worked until 4, then packed in as much wedding errands as possible in the evenings before starting it all over again the next day. What remained was a tired, cranky girl who just wanted everything to be over with ASAP.

Today, though, as I sit at the computer at work, finally finished with all my projects, I realize the problem--I was silly enough to think I was capable of fitting everything--including work--into my week. Not the smartest thing in the world to do. Now when I give advice to any friends who are getting married in the future, I will be sure to encourage them to take the entire week off before the wedding. There will be fewer circles under the eyes and outbursts if they make sure not to pack too much in.

For now, I'm relaxing in the reality that work for the next week and a half is done, and I can focus all my attention on my future husband and our special day. Let the fun begin!

For months and months, ever since--in the dead of winter--Dave booked the tickets for his flight over with his parents, I've eagerly awaited June 26. At the same time, I worried about the day, simply because it meant there was a lot of preparation that needed to be done for the wedding by the time they came. (Don't you remember those feelings back in school? You anticipated the upcoming summer break but dreaded all the work that had to be done for final projects and exams before you could be rewarded with freedom.)

Anyway, after months and months (and months) of waiting, the day arrived. As always, I pulled up their flight info when I sat down at my desk in the morning so I could track its status. I was dismayed to see their flight had yet to take off--and the estimated departure was an entire 90 minutes later than it should have been! Now I admit that, compared to waiting for months to see your best friend again, 90 minutes more is nothing. But yesterday, the airline might as well have said I'd have to wait another 2 weeks to see Dave.

The day progressed quickly, thank goodness, and I got a lot of work done, thanks to the pep talk from my aunt at the beginning of the day. I headed home to finish packing, then left to pick up my fiance and future in-laws.

Eager to see my guests, I was hoping it wouldn't take too long for them to get through customs and get their luggage. Dave and I had planned for me to arrive at least 45 minutes after their flight had landed to give them time, so I figured I wouldn't have to wait too long. Wrong! I probably stood in the packed arrivals area for half an hour before I finally spotted Dave's mom, then Dave's dad, and finally Dave walk through the doors. Yay! (The wait really wasn't bad, but I hate crowds of rude people, and I couldn't wait to get out of there for that reason.)

We headed to the apartment, and my poor guests had to endure a hot, windblown journey thanks to my A/C not cooperating. (Oh, Sweetie Pie, why must you be so temperamental?) After unloading the luggage at the apartment and touring our place, we all headed to Panera for some yummy soup. (Which we realized was kind of ironic--who eats soup when it's nearly 90 degrees outside? Answer: We do!) Then it was on to a late-evening shopping fest at the local 24-hour supermarket. Finally, we headed back to the apartment at 10:30 so Dave and his parents could get some sleep after being up for 24 hours and I could drive down to my parents' house.

Now that Dave and his parents are here, it's finally setting in that we really are getting married! Tomorrow is the family wedding shower, a final appointment with the florist, and a practice run for my "wedding hair" at the salon. The next two weeks will be filled with the last-minute preparations, and then I will become a Mrs. to the most amazing guy in the world.

Why is it that, on days when you shouldn't be buying anything, everything catches your eye, but when you need to buy an item of clothing for a certain occasion, you can never seem to find exactly what you want?

I set out this afternoon to find a dress for my rehearsal dinner and a dress for the ceilidh. (As much as I'd love to wear my wedding gown for the entire dance, I don't think I will last too long in the layers and layers of dress I will be covered with.) My only requirement for the rehearsal dinner dress was that it had to have some blue in it to match our colors--not too much of a challenge. On the other hand, I needed to find a nice, white dress that looked fancy enough for a wedding reception but was still comfortable to wear.

I walked into my local JC Penney to see what they had to offer and was happy to see that  most of their summer dresses were on clearance! Those of you who regularly shop the clearance racks understand the challenge a shopper faces when approaching one. I picked through dress after dress, often finding a cute one only to learn it wasn't in my size, until I had 5 worthy dresses to try on.

The next 10 minutes were a test of my self-esteem. None of the dresses I tried on looked good! Some made me look like I was wearing a sack. Others made me look like I should be walking the streets. Still bound and determined to find something good, I headed back out to search some more.

With the next batch of 5, I still had a few that looked dreadful! But I also found 2 that were perfect. The best part was they were on sale for $15.99 and both work-worthy so I could certainly wear them again post-wedding. I was pleased with my finds.

Still, there was the perfect white dress I needed to discover. I headed through the mall toward Kohls, only to find teeny-bopper dresses that ended mid-thigh. Then a miracle happened. I noticed the Deb store and remembered how I'd found plenty of cute party dresses there for other occasions. I eagerly made my way toward the back of the store, and that's where I found the perfect white dress! It is a sundress made of white eyelet fabric with light blue trim around the edges (to go perfectly with our color scheme!). Special material underneath helps "poof" the skirt out to make it truly party worthy.

After 2 hours at the mall and loads of searching, I headed out, Starbucks in hand (I had to reward myself on a job well done, after all), and pleased with the finds of the day.

For years, Sonic Drive-In has tortured us in Chicagoland with their commercials, enticing us with pictures of their delicious burgers, wraps, and drinks. Unfortunately, in order to satisfy a craving, one was required to drive at least 100 miles to get a hold of anything Sonic.

So imagine my surprise when I heard Sonic was coming to our area! I was eager for the late '08/early '09 arrival of one of my favorite fast-food restaurants.

People, it gets even better!

I don't have to wait until the end of the year to get some Sonic goodness. The first Chicagoland Sonic will be opening this summer! No longer will I have to travel to Kentucky or Kansas City to enjoy my Sonic cheeseburger with mayo. No longer will I have to be miserable when I catch a Sonic commercial on TV. No, my cravings will be satisfied with a short drive down the road. Hooray!

Now if only they'd open a Chick-Fil-A here!