About Me

About the Blog

Welcome friends, old and new, to badashery (formerly Uncorking Peonies). A personal blog written about the life of a twenty-something Michigander. My label changes by the minute –from a wife to a fur-mama, a Child of God, a community activist, a wino, a homeowner, a newly-wed, a badass babe, a runner, a baker, a national park traveler, a DIY-selfer, among so many others — but my mission never does: to embrace Life to the fullest and find the silver lining in every opportunity. Welcome to the little corner of the blogosphere where I share some of these moments.

This blog began in 2014 as Peonies ‘n Mint and focused on the after-effects of my first breakup, entering the professional world after college, and wrestling through the trials of being a single woman in the millennial age. Through the years, I have shared my achievements and failings with my readers as honestly as possible — sometimes relinquishing all control through rants and musings as to why things happen the way they do.

In 2017, the blog shifted to become Uncorking Peonies and focus on my upcoming wedding, newly-wed life and home ownership. Life continued to become more and more chaotic until the new decade rolled around and I waved farewell to blogging as a whole. My Type-A personality was overwhelmed knowing I had lost focus on the direction of the blog. And so I shut the doors of Uncorking Peonies and walked away for a few months…

… until today!

Over the past five months I have intentionally taken control of a number of areas of my life in order to become the best version of myself. And I found myself itching to begin blogging again, wanting to exercise my writing muscle. Though I doubt there’s a need to be redundant: I am here, I am back, and I am staying for awhile.

So, again, WELCOME!

Moving forward, badashery will continue to be a personal blog on the what’s and where’s and how’s my Life is going. However, I plan to focus more on well-being, nutrition, and fitness moving forward, in addition to my usual musings and open discussions. In the menu above you will see the four areas of my focus: Thoughts, Health, Recipes, and Life. Under each you’ll find:

• Thoughts: journal entries of what I’m doing and/or how I’m feeling, open discussions on topics shared with my friends and loved ones, and miscellaneous topics that might cover a little bit of everything and anything
• Health: a focus on nutrition from a self-care approach rather than control over my body and mental and emotion well-being posts to both inspire and encourage
• Recipes: I love spending time in the kitchen cooking up timeless classics as well as new dishes. My recipes focus on plant-forward, gluten free dishes, but I also share some of my family staples and tasty treats that have generated lots of smiles within my home
• Life: every-day glimpses within my household, event planning tips and secrets, traveling adventures, and a number of home projects that are elevating our house into a home

I am always looking to meet new friends and explore new blogs. Please feel free to reach out by commenting below (or on any post!) and sharing a bit about yourself. You, in every little detail, are so welcome here..

Meet Ashley

Hey everyone! I’m Ashley, the wine-drinking dreamer behind badashery. I hail from Southwest Michigan, one of the most beautiful places in the world. (I may be biased, but there’s just something to be said about four seasons, wine country, and living a minute from the beach.)

I am a wine enthusiast, nature-exploring foodie who values conversation and adventures with loved ones above all else. I love Jesus with all my heart, and am an advocate for many organizations and causes in my community. I’m a passionate INFJ working two jobs: full-time in community action and part-time in winery event coordination. I’ve learned hard lessons, gained some insight, and still have mountains of improvement to make to become the best and most badass ME.

Within the posts of this blog, a strong focus is on healthy living — be that emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Within badashery is where I share the little things that make me content and the big things that cause an impact in my life. All with a bit of positivity, humor, and good-natured realism.