I am back. In my house. My own house that is smelly and musty but also has new wood floors that have been buffed to a satin-like finish. They are just beautiful and I am over the moon. I am currently cleaning the house, with Mom, as the contractors finish up their last 24 hours of work. I have to take photos and blog in detail about this experience, but I’m a bit buzzed right now from the aroma of polyurethane. Give me some time to adjust, I promise to share all the juicy details.

Maggie, is chief tasting officer and founder of Eat Boutique. She started the site in 2007 as a way to highlight and celebrate the best pure, local and comforting handmade foods, and now sells unique and delicious handmade food in monthly tasting subscriptions and seasonal gift boxes. Fostering vibrant real world communities around food, Maggie now hosts Eat Boutique’s Local Markets, where she spotlights cookbook authors and undiscovered food makers. Maggie is a community evangelist with more than 15 years of Web community building and outreach experience, connecting millions via sites like Lycos, Tripod and TripAdvisor. She’s written for Time Out New York, the former I.D. magazine and Hip Paris, and created retail experiences for the largest floral and event design company in New England. Maggie regularly visits Paris and travels far distances to find the next great chef, farmer, food maker or host. You can follow her worldwide - and homemade - gastronomic adventures on Twitter at @mizmaggieb or @eatboutique.