winRT xaml designer stopped working

hey there,

I have a global problem with my windows store app's XAML designer in visual studio.

The designer simply stopped working and throws all sorts of exceptions...

System.ArgumentNullException
Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: key
   at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.Insert(TKey key, TValue value, Boolean add)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignModel.Metadata.PlatformMetadataBase.NewReplacedExternalType(PlatformMetadataBase platformMetadata, IPlatformTypes sourcePlatformTypes, IAssembly assembly, Type keyType, Type replaceType, ITypeId baseType, ITypeId neutralType, IXmlNamespace xmlNamespace, String clrNamespace, AttributeCollection attributes, ProxyPropertyDescription[] properties)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignModel.Metadata.PlatformMetadataBase.NewReplacedExternalType(PlatformMetadataBase platformMetadata, IPlatformTypes sourcePlatformTypes, IAssembly assembly, Type keyType, Type replaceType, ITypeId baseType, ITypeId neutralType, IXmlNamespace xmlNamespace, String clrNamespace, ProxyPropertyDescription[] properties)
   at Microsoft.Expression.WindowsXamlPlatform.WindowsUIXamlPlatformMetadata.OnInitialize()
   at Microsoft.Expression.WindowsXamlPlatform.WindowsUIXamlPlatform.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.Expression.Platform.PlatformCreatorBase.CreatePlatform(IPlatformReferenceAssemblyResolver referenceAssemblyResolver)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.ProjectContextBase.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.XamlProjectContext.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetProjectContext(IHostProject project, IPlatform platform, Boolean create)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetSourceItemContext(IHostSourceItem sourceItem)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass10.<>c__DisplayClass12.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__f(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.CallWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__e()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass16`1.<MarshalIn>b__15()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.ArgumentNullException
Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: key

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn[TResult](IRemoteObject targetObject, Func`1 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass8.<CreateDesignerImpl>b__6(IRemoteDesignerService d)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass4`2.<MarshalOut>b__3()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.ArgumentNullException
Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: key
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TResult,TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Func`2 func, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass12.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__11(RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CallWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`2 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)

I have exactly no clue where this is coming from.

Up until a few hours ago, it threw an exception saying it can not reach a path in the bin/release folder of the solution.

I want to add that compiling and running the app is fine, I guess this is a problem strictly with visual studio's designer.