::local love::

Oh my goodness!

If you're local, you will love this post!

Valparaiso [the town about 15 minutes south of us] is quite the hoppin' town.  I love going there.  I'd probably go there 5 times a week if gas wasn't $3.75+ per gallon.  The mayor of Valpo has done quite a lot to improve the town, draw in visitors and locals alike, and create new business.

Besides the favorites [Target, Panera, Barnes & Noble, Marshall's, etc...], Valparaiso has quite an assortment of goodies.

For my birthday several months ago, one of the things my boss treated me to was a dessert from Designer Desserts at 56 West Lincolnway.  The kids I nanny were super excited because they knew what was coming.  I did not.  I had been wanting to visit for a while but had never made it in the store.

I was in for a real treat [literally and figurativel].  I was completely stunned at how amazing this little place was and it had a real business going.  The week of my birthday was also spring break week and it was packed with customers.

Today was the first day of summer break for the kids, so my treat for them today was Designer Desserts.  YUM!

I thought I'd share a few pictures to entice you to visit. [Aaand, these photos were taken with the old point and shoot-ha-I can't believe how much I love my Mom's camera.]

 ::the cupcake I ordered::the picture does not do it justice::it was huuuuuge!::

 ::their decor is a mixture of fun, cute, bold, and quirky::love it::

 ::books for the kids::

You absolutely should visit one day if you're in the area.  Stop by their website to view their cupcake flavors and see more pictures!