Hey, hi, how are ya?
Some of you might be wondering who the creator is behind this brand, and I am here to give you a little insight into my world, and why I do what I do.
For those who do not know me... Hi, my name is Andrea, and I run this glorious shit show!
I am the creator, maker, mother, and professional griever behind this brand. I have always been a creative and entrepreneurial type of person. The idea of someone loving something that I have created is honestly the best feeling in the world. There have been many times that I have tried to find my place in the entrepreneurial world, and find my "people". Time and time again I would just put my dreams to the side because life got in the way, or I was unmotivated and discouraged. However, that is no longer an option.
Kalena Deena is the inspiration behind this entire operation. She is the driving force, and the constant behind the brand.
Kalena was born sleeping May 13, 2020 after nearly 40 hours of labor. She was literally sleeping beauty. She had pink cheeks, a full head of hair, and the longest legs. As I held her in my arms I felt this overwhelming sense of love, and peace. I was so proud. She was gorgeous and she was perfect, she was mine, and I was her mother.
After laying her to rest I felt this overwhelming sense of lacking purpose. I had been preparing to be a mother, I was preparing for midnight feeds, and early morning diaper changes. None of this was going to happen anymore. My midnights were filled with overwhelming loss, and grief, and pure HELL. I was constantly trying to fulfill my motherhood and was constantly coming up short. I wanted Kalena to be apart of my everyday and I was so unsure how to incorporate her, honor her, and remember her.
Kalena Deena Boutique has gone through quite a few transformations. It started the summer of 2020 as a creative release and just trying to occupy my time and feel productive. However, I felt such a disconnect between my products and my daughter. It felt like I was just slapping her name on a product to get monetary gain. It felt wrong. Then I kind of realized that every single person on the face of this planet experiences life, and life is hard. I didn't want my brand to just be about moms who have experienced loss (while that is the main demographic) I wanted to be able to reach other individuals and hope that I can validate them in their struggles. I want Kalena to be able to reach as many people as possible.
As Kalena's mother, I want to share our story in hopes that it reaches someone who needs to hear it. This is also my way of keeping her memory alive. This is how I fulfill my motherhood, and I am so excited that you are all here supporting and cheering me on, and remembering Kalena in the process. It means more to me than I can even express, and I will never take this opportunity for granted.