Can I brag?

If you'll indulge me for a few moments, I feel the need to brag. I'm one of five kids. Maybe I'll share a few of those growing up stories from time to time, but for now, I just want to tell you about my sister, Lee, although most people know her as Mary. Maybe more on that story later, too, but this is just about Lee. You can read more about her and her lovely family at AndEvenIf

One of Lee's many talents is redoing homes. No, make that flipping homes. While she and her family live in them. I know. Crazy isn't it? She and her husband will take a home in need of some TLC, fix it up and sell it a few years later. They do such a great job maximizing a home's features, and Lee's decorating skills are always evident in the finished product.

They're currently on their third flip, and let me tell you, it's a huge improvement over where they started with it two years ago.

This home was built in the early 80's. When Lee and her husband bought it, it was overrun with vines, bushes and trees. You can tell from the pics that that's no longer the case.



The exterior of this dated contemporary home was given a fresh coat of neutral paint, and though you can't tell much from these pics, a corner window on the left of the house was replaced by a more attractive window that doesn't wrap around the corner.

This pic shows the fireplace. No one would ever know that the fireplace surround was added during the flip.

The house had been added onto somewhere along the way. This little area shows what probably had been a sunroom, originally. You can see the doorway to the family den, which is where the children are homeschooled, and Lee sews and crafts. The living room has a tall, vaulted ceiling. That was covered in popcorn. Buh bye, popcorn!

Not the greatest shot of the dining room, but you get the gist of Lee's decorating talents. This is the room that had the corner window. Not so contemporary now, is it?


It's so hard to get a good kitchen shot, but this room received new granite countertops, new tile flooring and a fresh coat of paint on the cabs.

Do you have a walk-in pantry? I don't and am completely envious of this one. Of all the fabulous things that were done to update this house, I think the conversion of the former wet bar, accessible from the living room, to this wonderful walk-in pantry, accessible from the kitchen, is tops!

Lee made her duvet cover from the ever-popular "Queensland" fabric. She and I both love the design and colors, though I don't have it in my new home.


Another fabulous update is this master bath. I tell ya, I don't think you could've paid me a million dollars to take a bath with the original tub area that had a carpeted step surrounding it. Yuk! But would you look at it now? It's completely spa-like and such an upgrade from where it began. I love the chairs in the bathroom. With three young kiddos, who all take their baths in the jetted tub, there's a big need for extra seating!

The columns were old, architectural finds. They were cleaned up and now frame the tub and sink areas perfectly, don't they?

This is my nephew, Mason's, room.

This retreat belongs to my nieces, Molly and Madelyn.


The kids' bath received new paint, granite countertop, new lighting and new tile flooring.

Hard to get a good view of the utility room. Suffice it to say that it too is a huge improvement.

And I don't even really know what this spot was originally. Obviously, it's an add-on from a few years back. I love the seating area it is now.

This house is on the market in Amarillo right now, folks! And it's move-in ready!