Hone in on your inner child through delicious little cakes covered in frosting. Yes, cupcakes

are making a comeback and they’re not just for little kids and birthday parties. Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique, a new-to-the-scene cupcake hot spot has been open for two mouth-watering months and is already making its proverbial mark on Chicago.

The brainchild of owner and Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie graduate Teresa Ging, Sugar Bliss’ signa-ture flower frosting design reveals Ging’s love of doodling little flowers. It took Ging eight months to perfect her cupcake rec-ipes. Most of the boutique’s cupcakes are topped with a chip (all of the chocolate-based cupcakes, for instance, are topped with an upside-down chocolate chip.)

With an offering of more than 30 cupcake flavors, you can’t go wrong. If you have a favorite cupcake flavor, check the Web

site before you go because many of the flavors rotate throughout the week. However, there are six cupcakes you can count on every day, including Black and White, Chocolate Milk Chocolate, Red Velvet, Vanilla Milk Chocolate, Vanilla Vanilla and the seasonal offer-ing. Or skip the cake and go straight for the frosting with $1 frosting shots in 14 flavors.

If your cupcake craving hits in the morning, Sugar Bliss also offers four breakfast cupcakes including Apple Cinnamon, Berry Berry, Blueberry Vanilla and Cranberry Orange. Breakfast cupcakes are $2.75 each, $30 per dozen. If you want frosting, add $1.

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique is located at 115 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago. Cupcakes range

from $1.50 each or $15 per dozen for mini-cupcakes

to $3.50 each or $40 per dozen for regu-lar cupcakes. For

more information, call (312) 845-9669 or visit www.sugarblisscakes.com.

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Hang looseYour purse obsession may be pushing the lim-its of your closet, but that’s no reason not to take good care of your possessions. Next time you’re at work or dinner, don’t hang your beautiful bag on the back of your chair where it might fall off or set it on the floor where it can get dirty—hang it on a Fumi PurseHook, www.thefumi.com.

Designed by two sisters, the multi-purpose hook can

be used on more than just your purse; it also works as a bracelet or

can be stored on your purse straps. The hook comes in

seven designs, including zebra, leopard and silver, and retails for $24.95.

Count me fabulousTracking your health goals during the day

can be tedious, to say the least. Counting calories, carbs, vitamins, glasses of water and exercises can become exhausting. A little help and plenty of charm is on the way with the Count Me Healthy bracelet.

With 12 sterling silver beads along the adjust-

able bracelet, the counting opportu-nities are plentiful. Not to mention, this

bracelet is just plain beautiful. If you’re not

sure where to start, head to the Web site for examples on

what and how to count. The Count Me Healthy bracelet is available at www.count-mehealthyjewelry.com and retails for $88.

Gifting for good

The next time you’re looking for the gift, check out www.presentsforpurpose.com. The online retailer, started by two Lymphoma sur-vivors, offers gifts that give back—25 percent of its proceeds help more than a dozen chari-ties. From jewelry to baby gifts and green items to personalized gifts, the site has you covered. Products range from $13.95 to $170, with most gifts priced under $75.

Your kids love to draw, so much that they’ve

taken over the entire refrigerator. Choose your

favor- ites and turn them into two different styles of keepsakes—a necklace for you from Magic Dog Studio and a

plush toy from Child’s Own Studio for them. Whether you wear it or your kid cuddles it, your child’s art is just priceless.

Magic Dog Studio’s line, Off the Fridge & Out of the Drawer, transforms your little one’s masterpiece into a family necklace. You might also make cufflinks for your hubby with his favorite drawing or a lapel pin for Gran. The pieces are made from sterling silver. Charms start at $75, family necklaces retail for $140 and men’s cufflinks are $150. For a full list of options, visit www.magicdogstudio.com.

Child’s Own Studio, www.childsown.com, takes your kids’ art, matches the

fabric to colored pencils and crayons and artfully designs keepsake plush. Handmade by Wendy Tsao, a stay-at-home mom from Vancouver, B.C., the one-of-a-kind plush toys start at $49.

BY KATE PANCERO

MARCH 2009 29

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