Born and raised in South Carolina, but at this point I've spent more of my life relishing the progressive, transient beat of the SF Bay Area than the slow, steady pace of the deep South.

That's not to say it's not still with me - the spell of the South that is, especially when it comes to my love of entertaining.

Growing up in a very large extended family, where any and everything was celebrated over a huge home-cooked meal, I learned a lot about the importance of having passion and applying ruthless attention to detail.

With a penchant for writing, years in the food industry and a lifelong passion for entertaining, I've become a bit of an evangelist. I believe you can vastly improve the richness of your life one special occasion at a time.

I adore great food any way I can get it  - and living here means I'm about as close to heaven on earth as you can get. I take advantage of all the incredible restaurants, bars, wineries, farmer's markets - heck I even love the food trucks. And I like to share what I find.

I'm also obsessed with seeking out things that make gatherings unique, things with heart and soul, things with a critical eye towards excellence. Whether it's food, music, drinks or destinations - good stuff is out there and I will find it.

In that seeking, I find things that I adore almost everyday and in writing about them I also find joy. It's what I would do even if I didn't get paid. And at this point I don't - get paid that is, but the reward is sharing and thereby creating more passion in everyday life.

Gather365 is a vehicle I created to share both new discoveries, things I curated and what I already know. And here are a few things I know:

• Creating rituals is a gift we give ourselves and the ones we love.

• Taking the time and effort to make and share good food is love - pure and simple.

• Getting together with family and friends is one of life's sweetest pleasures.

• Loving attention to detail rarely goes unnoticed.

When I'm not seeking, or eating or blogging, or hosting my Airbnb, or showing local real estate, I'm chasing two little boys, loving life, my husband, our friends and our home here in the hills of Oakland.

Join me. Get together. Enjoy things. Tell me what feeds you.

Michelle