LWD // Eyelet & Dots

I recently decided that I have a love/hate relationship with white dresses. I love how delicate and light they look, but I hate how easily they stain. Does anybody else feel the same way? Okay, I admit that occasionally I am a messy eater, and may have space awareness issues (I am often running into things, such as walls), but I swear sometimes stains just happen! Hence, I've recently invested in several Tide stain remover pens. But regardless of my constant state of stain paranoia, I truly love wearing white dresses, especially in the summer. 

Coffee Break // Summer Time

Just popping in to say a quick hello! Today officially marks the first day of Summer (hooray!), AND the end of a long work week. Thank goodness!! I don't have much planned for this weekend, except lots of studying. BUT, I do plan on taking some study breaks to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. I hope you all have a wonderful first day of Summer!


Happy Summer!

xo,
Kimiko

Navy & White

This is one of my absolute favorite dresses, but sadly I haven't had many occasions to wear it. I love everything about this dress, from the texture of the fabric, to the high neck line, to the full skirt. It's the perfect combination of fun, flirty, and sophisticated!

Coffee Break

For a good part of a year, I stuck to a fairly consistent workout schedule, which meant going straight to boxing after work. This schedule was easily maintained because working out meant more hang out time with one of my besties! So to me, working out equaled play date! Except this play date wasn't the kind you used to go on as a kid; this one consisted of punching, sweat, pain, exhaustion, and finally, more sweat. On second thought, this is probably pretty similar to how little boys "play nice" with each other. Hmm...strange. ANYWAYS, it's definitely different than the play dates I had growing up! 

Unfortunately, my schedule for the next three months has put my boxing classes on hold and thus, thrown my workout schedule off kilter. Of course, I want to stay in shape (okay, I want to get back into shape), and be ready for the bikini season that I won't have time for this summer, but it's really hard to find the opportunity and motivation. Plus, when I look at my schedule, I'm forced to accept the fact that my only option is to work out in the morning. Ugh. The problem with morning workouts isn't whether or not I'm a morning person; in fact, I love mornings! The problem is that I'm not good at going to bed early or sleeping through the entire night, but I'll save those problems for another post. :) 

But, since I do want to stay healthy and in-shape, I am going to accept my new schedule and try my hardest to work out almost every day before work. It's going to be challenging to leave the comfort of my bed an hour earlier than normal, but I know it will pay off in the long run. I'll check in with all of you after a couple of weeks, and let you know how my morning workouts are treating me! 

In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment about what motivates you to workout, and how you stick to your fitness schedule!

XO,
Kimiko 

LB(lue)D // Cover Up

A couple weekends ago, Paul, Steve (Paul's roommate), and I took a mini road trip to Newburyport, Massachusetts. Over the past year, several people told me how beautiful Newburyport is, and let me tell you, they weren't kidding!

Dad's Must Have Monday

Weber BBQ // J. Crew silk tie // Banana Republic gingham shirt // J. Crew pocket square // Banana Republic Corbin sunglasses // Afire black cherry grill planks // Fossil mechanical watch // Bucket Boss Toolbelt // Sperry Top-Sider denim boat shoes // The Art of Shaving kit // Fitbit flex

S + W InstaSnaps // May

It literally hasn't stopped raining since Thursday night! Of course, my sister had no problem telling me about the lovely 80 degree weather that she was enjoying in California (Thanks Karina! You're sooo sweet). While I love sunny days, I do really enjoy some rain every now and then. The rain makes me want to curl up in bed with a good book and some tasty snacks, which is exactly what I did after work on Friday. Plus, it's much easier to be holed up inside studying anatomy when I know I'm not missing a beautiful sunny day. Speaking of sunny days, May was filled with lots of them, and in case you don't already follow me on Instagram, here are some snaps from May!

Find more pictures and follow me on Instagram (@kimikokossler)

Coffee Break

Balance. We all strive to find the “perfect” balance in our lives, but is it really attainable?

Today marks the end of the first week of my summer “craziness” (I know it’s not officially summer yet, but I'm speaking of summer in terms of your classic school calendar). The “craziness” that I am referring to is my full-time job, my part-time job, and my “let's-take-one-full-year-of-Human Anatomy & Physiology-in-three-months” course; add some personal time and a dash of sleep, shake and pour over a few ice cubes and voilà: my summer of craziness. See what I did there? Cleverly weaving in the fact that this summer might drive me to drink? But, hey, a few pitchers (did I say pitchers? I meant glasses…) of sangria might just be what I need after this summer! 

As I prepared for this week, I found myself constantly making lists, and trying to find the best way to get myself ready for the next three months. I know what my goals are, but I also know that I won’t be able to successfully complete them if I don’t take time to rest and recharge. For me, the real challenge lies in my inability to completely relax. While I know I need to take some “me” time throughout the summer, I often find it difficult to stop thinking about all of the other things that I need to do. For example, I feel like I need to be studying while I'm trying to enjoy a few minutes of free reading. Sometimes, I feel like my brain is constantly running on a hamster wheel, which is not only dizzying, but also distracting, and it makes it hard to achieve balance between all the pieces of my life.

So, while my priorities for this summer include kicking butt in my A&P class and at work, my main goal is to move one step closer to a more balanced life, all while keeping my sanity. Now, while I don’t think that I’ll ever find the secret to a 100% balanced life, I do think that eventually I will be able to find what the “perfect” balance for my life is, and how to maintain it…at least for a few minutes!

Happy Weekend!

XO,
Kimiko


p.s. If anyone has any advice on successfully balancing all the pieces of life, please share! Don’t be greedy and keep all that knowledge to yourself! :)

T-Shirt // Gameday

I don't know about you, but I thought the weather last week was atrocious! It was too hot and way too humid. My California skin was not made for this East Coast humidity! However, this week has been perfect! Started off with some much needed rain, and has remained breezy, yet still warm enough to walk around at night in a light sweater.

Must Have Monday

Zara linen t-shirt // J. Crew neon floral mini // ASOS stripe shopper // Zara leather sandal // BaubleBar primary snow collar // J. Crew Factory retro frame sunglasses // Madewell etched ridge cuff // J. Crew Factory utility jacket // The Elder Statesman for J. Crew cashmere tank