All was golden when the day met the night

Today was a gorgeous spring day, so Bigfoot and I took advantage of the fact that I didn't have Tae Kwon Do training by packing a picnic and heading for the Arnold Arboretum.

We made a new little friend...

...goofed around for a bit...

...and started our summer reading.

For today's outfit I chose something cute, springy, and breezy. The dress was a gift from my little sister and not something I'd buy normally, but I quite like it. My sister is very good at doing cute on a budget. I've been trying to find the exact dress but unfortunately can't, as I've had it a few years. However, I think the look can be easily recreated with a floral print dress and denim jacket. 

Dress: Styles for Less (old)/ Cardigan: Loft (similar)/ Sneakers: Converse

Now, wearing a floral print dress to the Arboretum might make it seem like this post is all about the outfit, but it's not. It's all about my shoes.

I bought my first pair of black lo-top Chuck Taylors All Stars in 2005, when I was 15 (ahhh I'm so old!). They were my favorite pair of shoes and I wore them almost every day of high school. They trekked with me from Vegas to Boston, through triple degree summers and floods and blizzards. By the end they were held together with electric tape and memories, so I decided it was finally time to retire them.

My first pair is sitting in my living room and I can't determine whether I'm going to throw them out or not. For now, they stay.

I'm going to end this post with a shout out to my favorite contemporary author, John Green, whose book I'm reading in the pictures above. If you've never read any of John Green's books, I encourage you to go pick up his first novel, "Looking for Alaska". This novel made me cry, and not in the 'I can feel myself tearing up at this sad moment' kind of cry. I mean zero to sobbing in less than 5 seconds. He's an extraordinary man. I also have a mad crush on him. So John, if you're reading this, let's do lunch.