Last week was a pretty good week. Monday, the July 4th holiday, was filled with fun and family and key lime pie. I was very productive at work, and a new opportunity for career development presented itself. The challenge is somewhat scary, but I like a good challenge, so I may just take it on. I had an article published in the Jacksonville newspaper on Thursday. And on Friday, I was able to share the news that I’ll be speaking at the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) in New Orleans in August. I went to that conference last year, and I came away from it inspired and even more in love with the food blogging community.

Also last week, a simple, brown box from Eat Boutique arrived, filled with products handmade on a small scale by artisans who clearly love what they do. Opening that box and digging through the treasures inside was icing on the cake of a lovely week.

I first encountered Maggie, the founder of Eat Boutique, on Twitter, what seems like ages ago. We made a connection that somehow seemed to transcend the limits of 140 characters. I’m not sure how it happens – or why – but sometimes it just does. I’ve made some great friends in this unusual way, and I constantly feel grateful to Twitter for that.

Maggie started curating these seasonal gift boxes of handmade food, like this Holiday gift box or this one for Valentine’s Day, back in December of 2009. As each new gift box was announced, I felt a twinge of envy when I thought about those lucky people who were going to be on the receiving end of one of Eat Boutique’s gift boxes.

I remedied the envy problem this month. I bought myself a present – the summer gift box.

The gift box came very quickly, and the items were nestled inside with obvious care. Strips of crinkly brown paper protected the glass jars and the delicate marshmallows inside this summer version of the gift box. As a bonus, our kitten (also named Maggie) fell in love with the paper and I’m still finding shreds of it under my living room furniture. Yay.

I haven’t sampled everything in the box yet. The one product I opened and devoured within minutes, though, is the Square One brownie – soft and fudgy on the inside, crisp chocolate layer on the outside. Oh, my.

Maggie tells me that the marshmallows are really good roasted over a fire, but I’m not sure I can wait until a fire happens to eat them. The hibiscus syrup will likely end up mixed into an adult beverage, or maybe into some lemonade or tea for the kids, if I’m feeling generous. I’m still developing plans for the other goodies.

Maggie has a real talent for putting together these boxes. After buying this one, I sort of regret not buying any of the previous ones. I’m considering a subscription, but I haven’t made the commitment yet.

In the meantime, Maggie has been incredibly generous and has offered to give away one summer Eat Boutique gift box to one of my readers. If you’re interested in winning one of these boxes filled with amazing treats, leave me one comment at the bottom of this post – just one, please – and let me know which of the items in the box you’re most looking forward to trying. Or, tell me about one of your favorite handmade foods that you can find in your local area. Or, just introduce yourself and say hello.

I’m not going to make you jump through hoops to get a taste of Maggie’s genius. Obviously, if you followed me on Twitter and joined the conversation on my Facebook page, I’d be grateful. You can find Maggie and Eat Boutique on Twitter, too. None of these are necessary to win the gift box, though. Just one comment, and you’re entered for the giveaway. Period. I’ll close entries at midnight EST on Friday, July 15th, and I’ll draw the lucky name randomly on Saturday.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Forgot to add that this is only open to people who live in the continental US only. Also, if you don’t have patience and just want to order a gift box of your own, use the code BEMERRY for free shipping.

(all photos above courtesy of Maggie and Eat Boutique)

Giveaway Now Closed!

And the winner is….

And, the lucky person who’ll be receiving Eat Boutique’s Summer Gift Box is: