Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I couldn't start this blog any other way. I apologize for my absence these last few weeks, and I'm sorry I didn't even post a thank you note after my birthday, but in these next few brief lines, you'll understand everything that has happened.
Let's start: two weeks ago, without any warning, the big boss suffered a small but annoying work accident, which, unintentionally, ended up changing my entire routine and that of the rest of the team. Back-office work is not always valued because it's not seen, but perhaps it's the most important of all, because without it, the machine doesn't run. While climbing a ladder, the ladder itself, which wasn't properly closed, ended up falling and hitting his foot squarely on the ground, breaking his heel bone. That means: 3 months of recovery 🫣🫣🫣. Inside Carla Valente, a "baby" (project) is being born, and, in short, this injury couldn't have come at a worse time: the eve of that big Sunday live stream and the arrival of the new collection… It was a lot to manage at once: live stream scheduled for Sunday, construction starting on Monday, he had surgery, was hospitalized… in conclusion: tons of things happening at the same time!
In truth, nothing would have been possible without the bubble of affection from a fantastic team and wonderful friends and family.
Let's talk about that live stream, which was only possible with the help of my sister and my daughter-in-law, who came to help me. It went very well, but it's exhausting, and the amount of setbacks it brings post-live stream, believe me, doesn't compensate for the wear and tear: a lost family day, the lack of manners and understanding from people who order but don't complete the purchase or respond to messages, the disappointment of those who couldn't get the pieces, as if we had preferences, selling items for €10 and €20, it's exhausting and nothing, absolutely nothing, is compensating. Because anyone who knows our online work and buys from us knows that whether it's a €100 piece or a €10 piece, the packaging is exactly the same. In other words, worse: because in each order, I wrote a note by hand to wash the items before wearing them, as they were in boxes… I don't think anyone would go to this trouble, but I did, and I was exhausted for days afterward. I swore I wouldn't do anything like that again so soon, because our serious work is compromised by pieces that don't even compensate for the effort.
Sorry, but I had to say this. People undervalue our work, send unpleasant messages (which doesn't happen with the new collection), and don't know what goes on behind the scenes, nor do they remember that we also have a normal life!
That week also saw the arrival of a lot of new collection items, the start of construction, the logistics were all changed overnight, and we did everything to ensure that no one at home would notice. We all became a little more overloaded; we've been trying to divide all kinds of tasks among everyone. We truly are an incredible team! Nothing would be possible without Eduardo Valente, who took care of all the paperwork and still helps me with messages; Sara, who has held down the store alone for hours and doesn't leave anyone unattended; André, who runs all errands and more; and me, who divides myself into many Carlas: wife, caregiver, entrepreneur, construction manager, etc. It hasn't been easy. Believe me, unintentionally, I try to put on a facade where I seem cold and that everything passes me by in the eyes of those around me, that I only think about work and have no feelings. But, in the midst of "chaos," sometimes thinking too much is worse, and I try to distract myself or make it seem like I don't value it, so as not to get stuck in time. Because right now, there's no time to lose, not even to think much, but rather to act as if everything is normal and you at home don't realize that, in some way, we are more sensitive.
I think we have all, together, succeeded. I've tried to give more quality to all the content we've been creating, meaning less but better. We've stopped the live streams because we really haven't had time, even though I still have a lot of marketable and commercial items to show… I can only ask you to check out the website and, for any additional help, send a private message 😌. It's just a phase, which will soon pass, and we won't even remember it…
Let's talk about my birthday 🎁:
2024 was such a bad year, so bad that if I could, I'd skip from 2023 to 2025. It was my 50th birthday, and a year later, I can confess that I hated it. I always thought 50 would be special, but it ended up being remembered as one of the least happy years ever. I swore I would never celebrate my birthday again 🎁, but life makes plans for us… I said that on my birthday, I always wanted to be traveling, not here. And what happened this year? Holidays postponed because my husband got injured, construction started, new collection… it was impossible to escape. I said I didn't want to celebrate (still upset about the previous year and hurt by this one, because all my plans went awry). Sara, attentive, decided to surprise me early in the morning, which changed my entire day. Sara is a mother, Sara is a wife, Sara is a worker, and she had the sensitivity to transform my day into a very happy day, despite everything that was happening around. She came on her day off early in the morning to bring me a breakfast box, she went to the trouble of printing several photos where I was happy, with my best smile, she gave me a protection bracelet as a gift, full of meaning, and finally brought a cake to make sure there would be no excuses not to sing "Happy Birthday" with my husband and my children, who, as you know, work with me. Such a noble gesture that changed my day. Thank you, Sara!
It ended up being one of the happiest days of 2025. My husband, even without being able to go out, managed to make tons of surprises – he's incredible (I even spoiled some of them 🤪). My youngest, with his dad's help, managed to hide a giant bouquet of flowers and give it to me at midnight. The eldest gave me that heartfelt hug. My granddaughters and my daughter-in-law had lunch with me, and we sang the first "Happy Birthdays" of the day. The rest of the day was marked by phone calls, messages, visits from former collaborators. At the end of the day, the whole family gathered again, as I myself made sure to prepare dinner and bring everyone together ♥️. Thank you family, thank you friends. Before going to bed, I was reading all your congratulations and messages, and I fell asleep with a full ♥️. A thousand thanks to everyone, you undoubtedly made all the difference on a day I swore would go unnoticed.
The rest of the week went normally, with the chaos being less chaotic, as we already knew what we were getting into.
This year's collection is a success across all brands. I don't know if it's the colors, but I know that generally everyone is loving it!
This week, alone in the store at the end of the day, looking exhausted but happy, sitting on the sofa, I looked around and thought aloud: Wow, so many cool things! I have brands for all tastes, just like in life with people, in work too: I think a lot about others, always! Within those 100m2, I try to have a bit of everything to please not just one niche of people…
Elegant and glamorous brands, brands with out-of-the-box power, young brands, premium brands. I couldn't be prouder of it. I confess I think I can convey that to you. Believe me: I always try to choose the best for you, without age or social bracket, but always with good taste and a lot of fashion mixed in ❤️. If it's Carla Valente, it's fashion. If it's Carla Valente, it's love. Believe it, always!
All that's left is to thank you for this little bit of today, which did my soul so much good, because even when I act strong, I also cry alone and in silence, but I wipe away the tears and keep going, because there's no time to lose ❤️.
I'm ready for another week to begin, with our VDR arriving, with the weekly Dixie and Imperial news, which have been a tremendous success, and with our usual grit and good mood!
Happy Sunday to all and a big kiss to your hearts 💕
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
With love,
Carla Valente
