Life Before Sisler

Pictured: Karen and Karlee: the early years

I was so nervous. Do first graders stress sweat?Because if they do, my oversized Tweety Bird t-shirt was probably getting a little humid. I sat in silence as my mom parallel parked (which is still a feat of heroic measures to me) next to an old white church on a rainy street. We walked up to a historic home on a charming downtown avenue hand in hand. I heard cheerful laughter and caught a glimpse of pink, red, and white streamers flooding the front room. Taking a deep breath, Tweety and I courageously crossed the threshold and I was introduced to the magic of Karen and Karlee Sisler and their themed holiday parties. Life would never be the same.

Karlee’s birthday fell just a few days after Valentine's Day, so the place was decked out. I remember the cupcakes and the music, and the little bells we crafted to look like angels. The day was pure bliss; I skipped back to the car a few hours later full of wonder and energy. I am sure I chatted my mom's ear off the whole drive home.

It’s hard to remember life before Sisler. Watching them celebrate over the years and inviting me in along the way has shaped my worldview of fun. And each year, as February approaches, I feel that same energetic infusion from them that I once did all those years ago. These days, I can’t seem to think about Valentine's Day without recalling the lessons I have learned from my Sisler Soirées. So, I had to introduce them to you and see if we could try to put words to the wonder they bring to this season.

Enjoy our conversation below:

I can’t think of Valentine's Day without thinking about the two of you. Where did this love for sharing the love come from?

Karlee: I’ve always appreciated this holiday, and truthfully, it’s probably because my birthday presents have and always will be wrapped in pink hearts and sparkly pipe cleaner. It might also be my love for construction paper and cheap doilies? And the fact that Winter starts to loosen its grip on February, and we all get to enjoy sunnier, albeit cold, days.

Karen: It’s the best for many reasons! It’s the next holiday after Christmas. It only requires glitter, paper, stickers, and crepe paper. And you get to spread a little love, with chocolate too! I believe that everyone deserves a Valentine! I still have the first heart box I got for Valentine's from a boy. 

That’s so cute! I have a little box of old Valentine's too. Karlee, I remember one from you with Michael Jordan on it. Do you have a memorable treat you have been gifted over the years?

Karen: We don’t give huge gifts for Valentine's. I like funny rather than sentimental. I remember a card I received in college. The outside read, “I was thinking of you the other morning and suddenly I was seeing stars". Then the inside said, “but I realized I had fallen asleep in my oatmeal and raisins.” That’s the perfect card for me!

Karlee: Mine would be from my now-husband, then-friend – Daniel. After I rejected him with a harsh dose of “let’s just be friends" a few weeks prior, he still gave me a Dora theExplorer Valentine’s day card with candy hearts. It was so sweet and so thoughtful that I decided to give him a chance.

I think we’re all glad you did. Nice move, Daniel. Are there any specific traditions you like to practice this time of year?

Karlee: The day before Valentine’s Day, I make a batch of heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them with pink frosting while watching the movie Valentine’s Day. I’ve done this long enough to not remember how or when it started but it’s my favorite. I also fill the house with little bowls of Dove dark chocolate and tape up some simple decorations. These days, I get to celebrate with the love of my LIFE. But, back in the single days, I used to grab take-out pasta with my girlfriends and talk about the ones that got away (and thank God that they did).

Karen: I make heart-shaped sugar cookies with frosting too. I also give silly stuffed animals to my girls. It is always a day set aside for a special dinner. We are goofy that way. 

February can be a tough time of year, right in the middle of the Winter doldrums. What gets you through?

Karen: Karlee celebrates a new year with a slow entry she calls Gentle January. I like to carry that with me into February too. I try to make peace that the days are short and the nights are long. I love to burn candles and bring in evergreen branches in vases. This time won’t last forever, so if it’s not the most productive time, it’s ok. I think easing into the year is important. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to someone else. Make a card, bake some cookies, and share. That’s what so wonderful about Valentine's- it doesn’t have to be the production that Christmas is. It can be homemade. And simple. 

I’m catching on to a theme- simple, easy, inexpensive. And yet it always comes across as sincere over tacky. That has to be a gift. Something learned and passed down- part of your family dynamic. How do you carry that lighthearted joy for celebration into the rest of the year?

Karlee: You make the little moments special. That’s definitely something I learned from my mom. There is always something to celebrate. She makes Monday’s special. She calls them Sweat Pant Mondays. Here are the rules: you don’t make dinner, you get into sweatpants as fast as it’s appropriate, and you don’t do anything. Leave it to my mom to make the most hated day my favorite.

Sign me up. I will be observing that holiday effective immediately. Okay, I am charged up and ready to launch into a fabulous February, thanks to the two of you. Any parting thoughts you’d like to send our readers out with? What’s one thing we could do to make this month feel a little brighter?

Karlee: Send out Valentines! I already bought a batch to send to my friends. Buy a candle that smells ridiculously good and burn it. Take vitamin D and B-12. Drink water, I know it’s gross, but I guess it’s good for us. Re-read a favorite book. Adopt a cat.

Karen: Take time to notice the beauty in the simple of February. Treat yourself and someone else to a little chocolate or a card. It’s a short month. Savor it.

Yes, here’s to the next 28 days. 

Let’s savor it indeed. 

Inspired by the Sislers? Keep up with them online.

Karlee is a food blogger, photographer, and videographer (I’d like to add comedian to her repertoire because the girl always has me in stitches) whose feed will leave you equal parts hungry and happy. You can find her at her website or on Instagram.

Karen is my son’s Elementary Art Teacher, so we’re big fans over here. But she also effortlessly adds a little bit of glitter and her own flair to vintage thrifted treasures of all kinds. She’s on Instagram and Etsy.

Sometimes all we really need to enjoy something is to hear why someone else does. So last month, we asked those of you who enjoy Valentine’s Day to share why. Thank you so much to this month’s guest contributors. Your stories have inspired me in many new ways and I am thrilled to pass them along to this community. Make sure to follow me on Instagram for more opportunities to share your stories. Friends, meet my other friends, Sarah and Ashley.

  • CHANGE OF HEART by Sarah Barbuto

    For years I hated the idea of Valentine’s Day because I thought it represented something I desperately wanted but didn’t yet have. Until I changed my heart (hehe) along with my attitude and decided to make it about what I do have. Now, this season has completely changed for me. It’s become a time for me to show love to those I love and to cultivate opportunities for them to do the same.

    My Annual Galentine’s Day Party is one of the ways I accomplish this: it’s an opportunity to speak love and life into the women around me. I think our culture seriously underestimates the power of friendship and the ways it can meet the needs of the human soul. So, for my ladies who don’t find themselves pining for the excitement of the 14th, I can tell you from experience that this season can hold just as much love with a little change of heart.

  • PIZOOKIE PARTY by Ashley Alexander

    As kids, my mom always celebrated holidays. She’d change out the seasonal decor to whatever was coming next and still does to an extent. Valentines Day called for cards, sweet gifts, and my favorite part- a GIANT chocolate chip cookie.

    That’s right. Imagine the biggest Pampered Chef stoneware packed with dough, baked at 350, and then shaped like a heart. We’d decorate it with frosting and a cute V-day phrase and then…we’d all eat it! The best part? We used a pizza cutter to divide our spoils so it was truly a slice of a pizza cookie- our own OG pizookie with more than enough to share that warm, gooey, chocolately chippy love!

Let’s Revel: February Edition

How to have some simple fun this month.

Add flavor with flowers. Yes, we’re stuck inside. But we can bring the outdoors in! You might notice your fresh market flowers are looking extra colorful these days. My best friend Ann, who moonlights as my resident floral expert, recommends picking up a bundle or two of tulips this time of year. Their stems will continue to grow after you put them in water, adding a whimsical touch to your table. Pink camellias are also in bloom, with red ones a few weeks behind. Their deep green leaves add the earthy warmth your heart is longing for.

Don’t forget to look up. Star-gazing is one of the silver linings to Winter’s promised darkness. Clear skies will offer you an endless display of wonder and perspective. Pair with a warm drink and a trunk full of pillows and blankets- the evening will feel like it was tailored just for you. If staring at the sky seems a little too sleepy for your liking, bring a camera or phone along for the ride and play with the long-exposure settings to catch some surprisingly impressive photographs.

Refresh the tunes. I’m a firm believer that the music you listen to has the innate ability to sway your mood. (Hello, high school- sorry about all that Dashboard Confessional). If you ask me, rainy days call for those classic crooners like Dean, Bing, Rosemary, Sammy, Ella, and my personal favorite- Peggy Lee. The familiar swells of Big Band with their trilling and whistling make home feel more simple and sweet to me. If my husband controls the dial, he puts on calming indie-folk-rock or a little smooth jazz. Our boys could be jumping off the walls but like clockwork, a few bars in they begin to mellow out and start humming and swaying in stride. What have you been listening to lately? If life seems a little too grey, switch up the soundtrack.

Make a movie theatre. Miss the ol’ silver screen? Me too. Let’s make one at home. Pop some corn, pick up a few fun candies and bubbly beverages at your local corner store, and put on a film from days gone by. Life seems exciting when it’s dark and the TV is louder than it should be. We’ll be watching Singing in the Rain for our makeshift matinee this month.