A quaintrelle is “a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, and charm.” The meaning of this word so perfectly embodies the essence of Ashley Cassidy Seale, so it makes for an appropriate name for her lifestyle blog, Quaintrelle, a place where she documents her life, her inspirations, her travels and more. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Ashley to get to know more about her and it's my pleasure to introduce her to you.
Ever since she was young, Ashley has loved writing. She recalls being a creative and expressive student, always writing stories. She loves language, which is evident in her carefully chosen words, and I couldn't agree with her more that there are so many beautiful words out there, so why not discover and use more of them? It's so lovely to speak with someone who shares an affinity for the art of storytelling through the written word. When she's not writing for her own blog, you can find her articles on other online publications, including design features for Domino magazine and personal essays for Glitter Guide. The latter of these contributions were essays where Ashley documented the sabbatical she took when she gave up her full-time job and apartment to live in France for six months. Although she had achieved many accomplishments over her decade-long career in communications, she was feeling burned out and felt she hadn’t spent any real time traveling. Off she went with her now-husband to pursue a dream of living in Paris and Biarritz.
Now back home in Toronto, Ashley has founded Ruby Social Co., a creative communications and content studio for clever brands, as well as continuing to build her blog, but, like the renaissance woman she is, she doesn't want any one thing to define her. She enjoys sharing knowledge of the things she's passionate about and has organized workshops on a subject close to her heart: letter writing. Ashley told me a touching story about a letter writing project she organized called Quaintrelle Hearts You – the idea was that you could send Ashley your mailing address and she would mail you a short, hand-written letter, with the goal of brightening someone's day from receiving a kind note in the mail, and in return she asked the receivers to pay the kindness forward by sending someone else a letter. The initiative was to revive the lost art of letter writing, and the project was an overwhelming success. As Ashley says, “it's so easy to make someone's day and we don't do that anymore.” Ashley has found the perfect way to blend two worlds, using her digital platform to make tangible connections.
You can expect to see a lot more storytelling on Quaintrelle, as well as more travel posts – despite having already lived in France for six months, or perhaps in spite of living there, it's Ashley's favourite place to return to and still travels there often. She's really excited to share more about the areas she got to know in France that are mostly unknown to travellers. She will also be sharing more about decor, design and entertaining, so be sure to create a profile on Wantfolio so you can follow Quaintrelle and never miss an update. You can also follow Ashley's profile on Wantfolio to see what she wants and what inspires her.
Want more? Here's what We Want To Know about Ashley:
I can't start my morning without...fresh fruit for breakfast and some quiet time to sit down and enjoy it. These days I'm trying to get up earlier, simply to "own" more of my time.
I have a weakness for...a good flat white (with soy and a dash of cinnamon, please), talking to strangers' dogs, and antique shops and flea markets (oh, the thrill of the hunt!).
Most people don't know that I...am an avid enthusiast of competitive surfing. My husband and I have a fantasy team and we diligently follow the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour and all of its competitors. We spent our honeymoon taking in the QuikPro from the shore in Hossegor, France.
Currently reading...Fleur Cowles' biography of Salvador Dali. She's a fantastic writer.
I want...to move to Prince Edward County where I'll have more room for our growing book collection and possibly a terrace with a garden.
Thank you, Ashley, for participating in #WeWantToKnow!