A Little Hello, A Big Update!

Welcome to the Next Chapter of BCV

Hello friend, pull up a chair. It’s been a minute!

If you've been around here for a while, you've probably noticed things have been shifting. A little quieter in some places, a little louder in others, and somewhere in between all of it, a version of me that feels more like herself has been showing up after a long absence.

I wanted to sit down and talk to you about it properly. Not in a caption, not in a fifteen second reel, but here, where there's room to breathe and actually say what I mean.

So here it is.

Where it all started

I started creating content in 2022. Originally, I started my Instagram page as part of a collaborative French project that I poured my whole heart into. That chapter didn’t end the way I had hoped, and for a while I wasn't sure what came next. What I did know was that I was feeling so passionate about creating content for a great community that had grown around me. Walking away from that didn't feel like an option.

So, I stayed. I kept going. And slowly, quietly, BCV became a place for me to be me outside of my duties as a stay-at-home mom.

For years, I created in French and I loved and still love that community deeply. But there was always something that felt slightly off, like I was telling my story in a translated version of myself. My creative brain thinks in English. It always has. I dream in English, I process in English, I talk to myself in English when I'm painting a wall at midnight wondering what I've gotten myself into.

Creating in French always felt like putting on a coat that almost fit but not quite.

The shift

In January 2026, I made a decision that honestly terrified me. I switched my content to English.

I didn't do it for the algorithm; cause god knows the algorithm punishes you when you go off course. I didn't do it because someone told me to. I did it because I was tired of translating myself. Because the most intentional thing I could do for myself and this brand, that I’ve worked so hard to build was to finally show up in a way that truly sounds and feels like me.

I grew up in Montreal, the daughter of a French dad and an English mom. I've never fully belonged to just one language or one world. That duality shaped everything about how I see things, how I communicate, and how I create. It felt like time to stop hiding that side of me.

If you've been here from the French chapter, thank you. Truly. You showed up for me when I was figuring it all out and I don't take that lightly. You'll still catch me here and there in French mostly in stories, sometimes in captions, because that part of me isn't going anywhere. But the feed, the recipes, the room reveals, the real honest content... that's in English now.

And although it might feel out of place to you, for me, it feels just like home.

If you're new here, welcome. I'm so glad you found your way in.

What's been happening

Since January...a lot has been quietly building behind the scenes.

I’ve been very busy in my family life as usual but doing it all while nursing a few injuries, hasn’t been ideal. Nothing major, just annoying enough to keep me slower than I prefer. I did, however, find the energy to tackle a few small projects. I tackled the hallway. The one that I couldn’t figure out what to do after we changed the adjoining staircase in 2024. It’s finally done and it brings the space perfectly together. But what I love even more…The reading nook under our stairs that finally came to life, and that project might be one of my favorites I've ever done. My kids absolutely love the whimsical vibe and so did you apparently! The reveal reel was my strongest English content to date and honestly it made me emotional to watch it back, not because it was perfect but because it was completely mine.

I've been taking time away from filming to work on the backend side of things, updating my website, writing articles, pitching to brands, building a proper media kit for the 1000^th time, writing cold emails, putting myself out there in a way that used to feel completely off putting.

All this change… It's scary and exhausting at time but also exciting and exhilarating. Some days it feels like too much and other days it feels like exactly enough. What keeps me sane is knowing I’m staying true to myself.

What’s next?

I’m excited to see what spring has in store for me. I’ve started thinking and planning for the garden. My cutting garden dream is slowly becoming everything I dreamed of. I can’t wait to watch year two in full bloom. I’ll let you in on a little secret: there is a flower stand in the future for my kids that I cannot wait to show you.

Not much has changed in my kitchen. It’s still gluten free, obviously. I’m finding more and more joy in my kitchen, Im still so in love with sharing my recipes with

you, have you tried my GF bagel recipe yet?! You defenitely should check it out!

And guess what I'm newly on TikTok, which feels like showing up to a party where I don't know anyone, but the music is good and I'm cautiously optimistic. You should come find me there if you haven't already.

Why I'm telling you all this

I built this space on honesty and I'm not about to stop now.

BCV has always been about building a life you don't need to escape from, and showing you that by choosing yourself in small intentional ways, it becomes possible to build something amazing. This shift, as uncomfortable and uncertain as it has felt some days, is exactly that. A small intentional choice leading back to myself.

I don't know exactly where this next chapter goes. But I know it feels more like me than anything I've created before, and I know that has to count for something.

I want to end things by saying thank you. I want to really thank you for being here, you have no idea how grateful I am to have you in my corner. And lastly, thank you for reading all the way to the end of this very long overdue hello.

I'll see you in the next one.

Val xxx