Adventures in San Diego!

Ok! So I decided to do some exploring of good ole' San Diego this summer, and where else to start but Balboa Park! Where in Balboa Park you ask? Why the world accredited San Diego Model Railroad Museum!! Random? Yeah a little but random adventures are the BEST kind....

Of course it wouldn't be a random adventure without some random mishaps. The first of which my friend Evan and I getting lost (of course) on the way. The second is that I FINALLY got a new camera (thanks Shea & Sassafrass) and I was beyond excited to bring it on my first S.D. adventure, but what do i do? I forgot the memory card!! FAIL

But here are some of the pictures pictures I gathered throughout the b-e-a-UTIFUL day!!!

There were SO many trains!

It is ridiculous the amount of the details there are in these models!

Is it bad I wanted to steal this for my house????

A precious little miniature park complete with miniature children playing!

(should I be creeped out by all of this?)

Rooms upon rooms of this stuff!

It was a gorgeous day with not ONE cloud in the sky!

This is why I love San Diego!

So overall it was a pretty fun day! This has totally inspired me to explore parts of San Diego. The entire day cost me THREE dollars! That is definitely within my college-grad-dirt-poor-slightly-depressing budget. (too many hyphens?) More adventures to come....


Until next time :)

Being a Bum

I have decided what my next step in life is going to be:

Being a Bum


How can I achieve this lofty goal you ask? Well it's actually quite easy! In fact, I encourage all of you to follow these easy steps:

1. Invest in extremely oversized and comfortable pajamas, which you must wear for a majority of the day.

2. Have a TV with DVR, and record hours of shows like How I Met Your Mother, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Friends, Glee, Sex and the City, etc. This way you have plenty of shows to watch while you spends hours on the couch (See step 3).

3. Spend hours on your couch watching TV.

4. Buy a blanket which you can bundle up in while on the couch watching TV in your comfy pajamas. This is the only way to achieve optimal bumness.

5. A computer from which you can spend hours on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, etc. will boost you into Expert Level Bum.

6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 as desired.

Here is the view from my prime spot on the couch. Following all 6 Steps :)

That's it! Six easy steps and you can be a bum too!! I wish you well on your journeys towards becoming the best bum you can be. Good luck!

Until next time! :)

This is an Important One...

WAIT. Before I go on, I must divulge a secret. So, I recently updated my Facebook profile and said that I dropped my phone in the "sink" . Well, this might be a little variation of the truth. I actually dropped it in the toilet, but I thought that was too embarrassing to share with the world. So, this whole weekend I had no phone, which ended up being quite inconvenient. Alright, onto deep thoughts and such....

It's funny. When something comes around that you know is really important, and have been looking forward to for awhile, it's not quite like you expected. 

This weekend i graduated from college! Which was the LONGEST thing I have ever sat through in my entire life. It was so long in fact that my friend that I was sitting next to and I were listening to music on his Ipod throughout a majority of the ceremony. I always thought I would be emotional when this day came, when in reality I was rocking out to some sweet tunes and waiting three hours for my name to be called.

So what does that mean? I'm too cynical? I should be more grateful for where I am and what I've accomplished? Or that I like to dance and I'm ridiculously impatient? (My vote is for the last of the three....but you can make your own judgments)

The highlight of this oh-so-important day was going out to dinner with my family, my boyfriend, and a few friends at Gringo's. I got to open presents, annnnnd soooo exciting...I got a new camera AND my parent's said they are going to buy me a puppy!!!!!!!!!! Then, I continued to order two VERY large pomegranet margaritas (too die for), and then continued to share embarrassing stories about everyone in the family. I don't think I have laughed so hard in quite some time.

Nick (boyfriend), Me, and my Little (Kat) at Gringo's

Finally, we ended the day by going out for celebratory drinks with my brother Shea, and his wife Sarah, other brother Bryn, Nick, and fellow friends Jenn and Taylor. I had so much fun with everyone, and it was the perfect end to a perfect day. 

Queen Sass & Sassafrass at our finest :)

The 2nd and the 3rd best looking Mercado child (you decide the order)

My boyfriend Nick...had to add it. How cute is he?

We can't go on without touching on my brother Bryn's dance which he dubbed "The Move", which he argued was amazing and went with EVERY possible song.

All and all it was a great day. I was so grateful to spend the weekend with my amazing parents and the rest of my family, and share this special moment with all the people I love. Now, onto an amazing summer, and then to decide what it is I want to do with my life (lets just not think about that last part)....

Until next time :) 

The Halfway Point!

Halfway Done!!!!!!!!


I am in the home-stretch people! I can see the finish line! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Its in my reach! [[Insert inspirational saying here!]]  (You get the picture)


My family will be getting in here in TWO days for graduation! I am beyond excited! So excited in fact that I have lost focus (yet again) on my studying to write in my lovely blog....ooopsss....


Speaking of losing focus...IF you are a college student and HAVENT discovered StumbleUpon, then you have not truly learned how to procrastinate. This website takes up hours of my time, and introduces so many fun things. 


Today, I found the coolest graphic designer and illustrator! Her name is Nikki Farquharson (don't ask me how to pronounce it). Here is some of her work! Sooo interesting and soooo 80's (Bonus!!)

Image from: Nikki Farquharson

Image from: Nikki Farquharson

Image from: Nikki Farquharson

Image from: Nikki Farquharson

OK....back to studying...maybe....Until next time :)

Positive Thoughts!

Graduation is a week away! My wonderful family is coming down on Thursday, which means I just have to make it through a horrible finals-filled FOUR days.

The focus for the week is "positivity". Anything can be accomplished with a positive attitude! With a combination of positivity and prayer, nothing can bring me down. I am taking this positive outlook into my last four finals of my college career. Wish me luck!

On the bright side...I had a wonderful weekend at my roommate Emily's "baseball themed" pub crawl! My boyfriend and I were the dodgers (of course!), and we had a great time. Any excuse to dress up in cute outfits is fine with me :)

Best team in baseball....obviously

Until next time.... :)

Last Day of Class!

Today is an interesting day. Today, May 15, 2010, officially marks my last day of college class, ever. It has officially hit me that I am graduating in NINE days!

So do you remember when your mom used to dress you up for the first day of school, and make you take a picture? Although a lot of kids hated this tradition, I used to strike a pose for every single one of those pictures AND I was dressed darn cute (thanks Mom!). So, in honor of those many "first-day-of-school pictures", I decided to take a "last-day-of-school picture" dedicated to my Mommy :)

Today Momma Mercado was replaced by Momma Kels :)

Annnnd...drumroll please...Here are a few of my "first-day-of-school" picture from WAY back in the day. (Note the HUGE bow in my hair!) I really don't look that different do I?

Today marks a milestone, and I am so grateful to be where I am! Now just gotta figure out the rest of my life....Until next time :)

Daydreaming in Different Decades

Three Words: VINTAGE VINTAGE VINTAGE


I have a slight obsession with vintage clothing. Something about the fashion of the 50's and the 60's fascinates me. The full skirts of the 50's and the beautiful pastel coloring fully encompasses the perfect little house wife. The 60's on the other hand was a time of innovation for fashion....new colors, different lines, and *gasp* pants! Hell...I'm even a fan of the neon spandex "fashion" of the 80's. I DON'T care....if it was made back then I want it!!!!

The Problem: Quality vintage clothing is quite pricey, and my "college-girl" budget completely prohibits me from having my dream wardrobe (a mix between Audrey Hepburn, Edie Sedgwick, and 80's Madonna to name a few). Apparently quality vintage Halston, Chanel, and Diane Von Furstenberg is a bit out of my price range....darnit.

So alas, I am left sifting through the racks at second hand thrift stores looking for those special must-have gems. I have found some pretty fabulous stuff though, including the cutest purses ever!

BUT when I am feeling the need to buy adorable vintage at a reasonable price I have found an amazing website!! Score!! Even if I'm not in the market to buy just yet, everything is so fun to look at! Here it is....

Nasty Gal (don't be fulled by the name, it is fabulous!!)

Picture from: http://www.shopnastygal.com/products/vintage/clothing/tops/Sunny-Fan-Top.html

Ummm hello beautiful sundress...I love you :)

Picture from: http://www.shopnastygal.com/products/vintage/clothing/dresses/Gracie-Velvet-Stripe-Drres.html

The perfect little party dress..love love love

Ok. Now I want to go shopping....problem? Until next time :)

Starting Early!

Today is an exciting day!...for a few reasons....

1. I woke up early!! For anyone who knows me you KNOW that I'm not a morning person. If it were up to me, I would sleep until noon everyday, but that isn't very productive and society would view me as "lazy" (I'm not sure I agree). Anyways, today I woke up at 7:00 a.m. (unheard of for me) to go to my fabulous job. I work for La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club as a Junior Tennis Instructor, but today I was given the opportunity to do something new!

2. I got to work the tournament desk for a National tournament! While this doesn't sound super exciting, I had a great time because I got to meet all kinds of interesting people. On top of which, I got to spend time with my lovely co-workers, who are so much fun to be around. I am so blessed to work at a great company and be surrounded by amazing people every day.

My work station for the day! I got to use a microphone and everything :)

So my new goal is to try and wake up early, because it amazing how much you can accomplish! Who knew right? Also, I was reminded about how blessed I am to be working for such a great company! Everyday presents you with new blessings, just be sure you don't ignore them! 

Until next time :)

The Beginning of a New Adventure

My name is Kai Mercado, and in two weeks I am graduating from college. While this would be an exciting accomplishment for most, I am quite terrified of the fact that I have to be a grown-up. Bills, jobs, insurance, and taxes....all of which I am ridiculously unfamiliar with, and all of which will become a part of my life soon...scary right?

Don't get me wrong. I am more than excited and proud of myself  for graduating from San Diego State University in 4 years! But past that excitement is the future looming over my shoulder asking me what is my next step. What is my next step? Well this blog of course!

 I am gonna be writing about the ups and the downs of this new part of my life I'm entering. In the next year, I have to find a "grown-up" job, a new place to live, and basically figure out my "life game-plan". Luckily, I am surrounded by great friends, an amazing boyfriend, and the best family anyone could ask for. I have a great life, and am so blessed; now lets just hope that keeps on going into the future. We shall see....stay tuned :)