Living the Sweet Life

I’d been in here once before just to see what it was all about. Then my friend and I popped in after eating sandwiches down the block. We had an amazing pecan caramel shortbread bar and coffee. While the treats were delicious the service was kind of snotty and when I went to go ask for one more thing it was like I was bothering the girl there.
I will say that the bakery goodies that they’re offering for pre-​order for Thanksgiving sound outstanding and if I need something I’d probably give them another shot.

Everything is my favorite but if you happen to visit on a day they have cake pops leftover from a special order don’t pass them up. They are so yummy. The staff are all very friendly.

Sweet life did a dessert bar for our wedding. Pies, cookies, brownies and more that were probably the highlight of the show. Many people came to me and said the dessert was the best thing theyve ever eaten in their lives. Erica was also great and easy to work with.

Small space, but so adorable, and the treats that I’ve had so far have been so good. The pound cake was ultramoist and so delicious. The chocolate chip cookie was quite good – great flavor and texture. My favorite thing that I’ve had was a slice of apple pie with coffee. Flaky, buttery crust and great coffee too.

I was seriously craving a gooey chocolatey treat last week and a gluten free vegan cookie from Vitamin Cottage was not going to cut it. Living the Sweet Life was really the only other option within walking distance so I ventured in pretty much expecting crappy service like the last visit.
This experience was completely different. I was greeted with a smile and given the rundown on all the sweets for the day. I think it was the owner behind the counter that day and she was so sweet and friendly. All I had was a $ 20 bill to pay for my seven layer bar and since she didn’t have enough change for me she just gave me the bar.
The owner definitely changed my opinion of this place!

Bhakti chai served here. For that reason alone I would come back over and over again. But since I also have a near insatiable sweet tooth, I think I’ll be returning for their dessert bars. The shortbread is so buttery good and when you get it topped with fruit jam and crumbles it takes you to a place I like to call, «butter heaven.»
Unfortunately because the products with nuts aren’t separated from the other goodies, I can’t risk bringing home a treat for my honey. He likes treats, but he also likes breathing, so we don’t take chances.
I wish their prices would be displayed. The price isn’t going to be a make or break it type thing, especially since their treats are TOTALLY worth what they charge, it’s just nice to «pre-​ring» what you are buying in your head before you whip out your cash.

I love coming here when I am in the neighborhood to grab a quick treat. I have also had lemon bars ordered for a family event and we take a box of goodies to holiday events. I love anything with their shortbread. I haven’t ordered anything I didn’t like!

I was excited to try Living the Sweet Life. I had bought a voucher to try them. When we got there, there was a group of about 20 people in the area. The shop is not big enough to hold that many people comfortably. We knew we were next because everyone cleared out. If there had been separate parties, we’d have no idea where the line started or ended.
They had bulk candy in containers on the wall. It was expensive at $ 8 a pound. And it wasn’t candy that would be hard to find anywhere else. I bought a few things. One was a lemon bar, which was practically falling apart since it was so crumbly. It tasted fine. The raspberry bar was fine, but I didn’t realize it had nuts in it (and she didn’t tell me even though I asked if other products had nuts in them). The chocolate chip cookie was pretty good. My son was not a fan of the cookie shaped like a turkey. They can make coffee drinks. I tried a chai tea latte. It was very sweet and expensive. A ten ounce cup was $ 3.50.
The lady who helped us was very friendly, as was another one who came out and said hi. We had no problems using our voucher there. I was unhappy that they put all my products into small paper bags. The lemon and raspberry bars were smushed in together, which made them crumble a lot more than they would have if they were in a box.
In all, I don’t think we’ll return. Parking was a hassle and the offerings were not enough to bring us back. I would recommend others to try it out to see if anything strikes their fancy.

Pecan Bars and Cookies!!!
That’s all you need to know…
A bit pricey, but worth it!

I was in the neighborhood to meet friends and decided to redeem my Living Social voucher for Living the Sweet Life. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be in this neighborhood, as I am usually not, so I was happy to pop in and pick up some sweets. As I arrived towards the end of the day, around 5 p.m., the selection was a wee bit limited, but that didn’t stop me. As it was right before July 4^th weekend, there were homemade Oreos to be had, along with a pecan caramel bar and a raspberry crumble bar.
It’s easy to miss this spot, as the building sits on the corner, and there is a deli that’s on the corner and the bakery is adjacent to the bakery. It’s a pleasant shop with a table and a couple of chairs for seating, as I recall. The bakery also serves coffee and tea and milk. There were also some gift items and cards available at the shop.
The shop is very cute and has some unusual items, which were very nice to find. Whenever I’m in the area, I will definitely stop in for some sweet goodies.

best pasteries in town (jalapeño cheese croissant– WOW) Cookies, tarts, etc… even handmade marshmellows. The down side? Very slow service at times, But well worth the wait!

Fantastic cookies and amazing service.
When i had to cancel my wife’s birthday cake three days before her birthday. With only 24 hours notice, they took care of her cake, delivered on time, and it tasted great. Love the peanut butter filled chocolate cookies and my wife can’t get enough of the oatmeal cookies.

Woohoo! Yes indeed this place rocks! I had a banana cake (yum!) made w/​cream cheese frosting for a Christmas party my husband and I threw. Wowza, was it amazing. I honestly don’t like banana’s typically, let alone anything flavored like them but I had a bite of a cupcake once from here and wow, the best ever! We also got some chocolate and red velvet cupcakes, I didn’t try those but I received lots of compliments so they must have been great. I will go here again and again.

Wow, what a great little shop! Tasty, reasonably priced individual treats and terrific customer service!
I purchased a slice of the pumpkin chocolate chip bread that was still warm and a caramel-​pecan-​shortbread bar to split for dessert later. The pumpkin bread was some of the best I’ve ever had and what a treat to get it so fresh! The pecan bar was so tasty that I really didn’t want to share.
I’ve seen comments about the pricing and for the individual desserts, I think they are extremely reasonable. I paid a total of about $ 5 for both. And their cupcakes are some the least expensive if not THE least expensive in town at $ 2.50 a cake.

OK, so this rating is based, as it should be, entirely on the quality of the sweets here. There are some drawbacks, as you will notice in other posts, the hours are short and there is no place to sit and enjoy your treats.
The cupcakes are my favorite in town, but they are not even as good as the brownies and pecan squares. When I have a favorite food like fried chicken or lasagna or chocolate chip cookies, I make several recipes, and mix and match until I have the perfect method for making it just the way I like it. It’s like the bakers here have done that with everything they make. The coffee is also really good, and the owner and staff have a great sense of humor — very sassy, very nice.
Update: There is, in fact, a lovely loft upstairs to eat your goodies!

So after about three years on Unilocal,I’m finally going to stop being selfish and add a few reviews, starting with my favorite places. Living the Sweet Life is at the top of the list.
If you want something hand made with quality ingredients that will steal the show come here. By the third time I brought a dessert from LtSW to a party, it was clear that it doesn’t matter which group it is or how picky they are, these desserts just get it right. The caramel apple pie is the best thing in the world. While clearly that is a ridiculous statement, I will stand by it. I brought one into work and a coworker that prides herself on her apple pies took one bite and admitted defeat. The fruit tart basically made every other fruit tart I’ve had seem like some sort of Walmart special. The cookies, brownies and cupcakes are just the way most people want them to be (you’re never going to be able to please everybody when it comes to cookie or brownie texture — that decision gets made at a young age).
There’s an upstairs where you can sit and work while eating a dessert with some coffee, and while it’s definitely decorated for the female clientelle, you don’t really come to a sweet shop called Living the Sweet Life and expect moose heads and cigars. I once walked in when a father had brought his four year old daughter in dressed as a princess, and she pretty much thought the shop was her princess castle.
I’m not a candy person, but the candy they have seems to fit the bill.
One thing to note: this is NOT a place where you should pick out your favorite thing and then just walk in any time assuming it’s there. They make small batches and change items up frequently. I’m sure you could call ahead to check and I know they take orders. However, if you’re like me and just want something good, it’s perfect.
Things to know about me to help put my thoughts in perspective: I was a fat kid (where kid = 18 years), and have eaten plenty of crap in my life. So perhaps in extreme reaction, I have a hard time now eating anything I don’t consider «worth it.» I don’t drink soda, I don’t eat grocery store snacks/​cookies/​cakes, and I definitely don’t eat anything from a mix. If you’re the type if person that can rip open a pack of «Grandma’s Cookies» or dig right into some grocery store pie with god only knows what in the filling, we probably do not share the same requirements in a bakery.

Though this shop is very cute, it leaves something to desire.
Cons:
— The selection of candy on the shelves is beautiful, albeit unapproachable.
— There is a small selection of clothing/​accessories, but frankly there’s room for much more. This is expensive retail space… USE IT!
— The store feels almost over-​simplistic… I didn’t want to stay and hang out.
— There really isn’t anywhere to sit. I wanted a place to cozy up to my chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk or hot coffee.
— I bought 3 cookies, and only one of them was really «good».
Pros
— Very friendly staff
— Beautiful space
— Nice display of sweets
— Good opportunity for parties (revenue) upstairs. Advertise it!
Suggestions:
— Make mini-​cookies and cupcakes and sell them in sampler packs.
— Partner with Masterpiece next door… they kill it everyday at lunch. Get them to add one of your treats as a «side» instead of that healthy fruit :)
— Or get Tattered Cover to carry your sweets… they regularly carry local-​made concoctions! You’re going to go out of business if you don’t do something soon! :(

Something is missing in here… but I can’t put my finger on it. I’ve been in twice — the first time for cupcakes and they were average. Nothing memorable.
The second time was for a pumpkin cream pie for Thanksgiving. It was a 9″ pie for $ 25. Seriously!!! I was expecting it to be the hit of the dessert line-​up after Thanksgiving dinner. Not so much. The pie had so much spice that you couldn’t taste the pumpkin. And the cream didn’t add much (if any) dairy goodness to the experience.
This shop had a lot of other yummy-​looking treats that I haven’t tried yet. I will go back, but only if I happen to be walking by and craving some sugar.
Updated: I’ve been back twice for cupcakes and they were very tasty. For me, my cupcakes need to be moist, and they were suitable.

As someone who has lived with a permanent sweet-​tooth his whole life, I am well-​qualified to review this place. Not to mention the fact that I frequented all of the «original» cupcake places in NYC (Magnolia, Billy’s and my beloved Buttercup) when I lived there, way before the cupcake trend went crazy.
I love this place. I have yet to have anything that disappointed. I’ve been here less than a month and I kid you not, I’ve been here 5 times. It’s unfortunate that I have to pass it every time I go to the organic dry cleaners around the corner. If I don’t get my willpower together I won’t be able to fit into any of the pants I’m taking to the dry cleaner.
Anyway, I tend to stick to their variety of cupcakes, red velvet being my favorite, although all the standard varieties of chocolate/​vanilla are superb as well. I must say, as a quality baker myself and someone with HIGH standards in what qualifies as a great sweet treat, the basic white cake they use for their cupcakes is one of the most delicious I’ve ever had.
NOT particularly cheap, but they obviously have to pay for that lovely space they have and, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. It’s well worth it.
Best of all, everyone who works there is insanely nice and genuinely sweet. Just lots of good energy permeating the whole place.
Why are you still reading this review? Go now! Go buy 6 cupcakes immediately and thank me later!

I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have a whole sweet grill. The Highlands Mommies gave me the scoop on the grand opening of Living the Sweet Life, and once again the Momfia came through. On my journey to find the perfect Red Velvet cupcake, though, there was a bump in the road.
We plan out a great Saturday morning, complete with a visit to the Highlands Farmers Market and our favorite price gougers at Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers. I need baking supplies and some inspiration, so we hit LTSL first. Let the weirdness begin!
Huge double glass doors open into a truly odd space. The counter is flanked by a giant sneeze guard, which doesn’t appear to serve much purpose (getting to this later). One wall is stacked up with jars of assorted candies, but it seems ornamental as opposed to functional. Candy themed music is blaring in the background, which is just shy of cute, only you can tell «Sugar, Sugar» by the Archies has probably played five times already by the homicidal look in the counter girl’s eyes. The coffee station looks like something from a warehouse break room, no bells. Possibly whistles. I won’t rule them out, this place is too quirky.
We’re told they have vegan cupcakes and I feel my eyes glaze over. Everything I love about pasties is intricately tied to eggs and butter. I decide instantly on a chocolate chip cookie and a raspberry linzer bar, but keep this to myself to see if we’re going to order the same thing. The girlfriend goes for a chocolate cupcake, vanilla butter cream, and the universe remains perfectly in balance. I have crumbs spilling from my mouth before we get out the door.
The chocolate chip cookies are different in a spectacular way. Less brown sugar, almost a sugar cookie, with a crispness that gives way to a chewy, decadent center. I want to hide in their rafters and pounce on a sheet tray as they come out of the oven fresh. The linzer is a little dry, and the raspberry preserves are nothing too special, but I’m pleased overall.
The Slidget is less than impressed. «Dry,» she says, «and then more dry.» I am taken aback. The promotion for the grand opening is a free cupcake (which we didn’t receive initially) and to be passing out a crap cupcake wouldn’t seem to behoove them. I take a small bite and it’s like a brick tossed at my palette. Dry and bland, not much else. Boo-​urns. Maybe an actual cooler, or some kind of case would help keep these fresher. We have to return for the face painter, who was late setting up, and I’m determined to try another.
When we return, we have to wait with the baby while a member of the staff has her face painted. I’m unreasonably annoyed by this and decide two more cookies will calm me down. To my surprise, the free (mini) cupcakes are available when we get back, and one of my favs: red velvet.
My methodology on bakeries is simple: try the cookies first. If you can’t nail a simple chocolate chip, go back to the drawing board. Maybe try finger painting. If the cookies pass the test, go on to the cupcakes, and red velvets if they’re available. Spending some time in the south, they always bring me great food memories.
Until now. They have a bizarre crunch when you bite in and the same dryness the Slidget tried to warn me about. I give her the other and she eats her bouche sized confection to be polite. «Let’s get his face painted and go,» I say in a fit of disappointment.
The face painter was a trip. She lets us know that babies don’t like her, or most unfamiliar faces. Great, thanks for cluing us in. We were just going to turn him over to you and stop back in an hour. She asks what we’d like her to paint, and we have no clue, so we go for something Halloween themed. She suggests, for a 3 mo old baby, a spider. Really?! An effing spider?! We’re thinking pumpkin, candy corn, anything without venom, really. We don’t tip (bad etiquette?) and hurry up to the market, where a nice young man gives my little man his first pumpkin. Now THAT’S how you treat a baby.
I’m giving Living another shot, even with the unfortunate name and odd space. They do have a seating area up above that must have a great view of the city, but how much time can I burn eating cookies and not drinking coffee? I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.