Albert Blog: Up Close and Personal with Nicole Curtis

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Candid as they come, Nicole Curtis is not one to shirk from being her authentic self. But there’s only so much you can see or reveal on TV. Well fellow Rehab Addict fans, it’s time to rejoice! Your favorite HGTV and DIY Network star is getting up close and personal in her brand new book, Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned from Saving Old Homes (And How They Saved Me).

Like the homes she renovates, writing Better Than New was a labor of love for Nicole that took over two years from start to finish. We had the chance to talk with Nicole about her new book and how this new creative adventure came to be. Read on to find out more and pick up your copy today!

Private Struggles, Personal Battles

So what inspired Nicole to write a book? She says, “I felt it was important to answer all the questions people have been asking over the last 7 years.” While it might look easy on TV, “there is a real struggle that happens” says Nicole.

Described as part memoir, part self-help book, Better Than New is composed of eight revealing chapters about Nicole’s personal journey and the homes she’s renovated along the way. Although she says she doesn’t have a favorite chapter, the projects she chose to write about and feature in the book are the ones closest to her heart.

Better Than New

Coming up with a fitting title for a book can be a difficult task, but not for Nicole. “It [better than new] was something my grandma always said and everything I love is always better than new. You hear people say it all the time. It just fit.”

“I see treasures where others see garbage,” says Nicole “Just the other day I found some bamboo my neighbor was throwing out and used it to fill my fall urns. Anything that can be saved and refinished is always good.”

How to Save a Life

Nicole describes the work she does restoring old homes to their former glory as “larger than life”. When starting a new project, Nicole explains, “You don’t go in with a plan. You can’t.” While we often focus on successes rather than failures, Nicole says she believes we learn more by examining and finding the life lessons in our failures.

In Better Than New you’ll find plenty of Nicole’s life lessons as a single mom and entrepreneur, as well as over 75 never-before-seen photos from her personal collection.

NicoleProject

Find Your Fire

Transforming communities for the better is at the heart and soul of Nicole’s work. Inspired to help your own community? There’s still time to submit your project idea to the 2016 Bernzomatic Find Your Fire Community Grants program.

“Getting money for community grants has been one of the hardest things I’ve faced in my career,” says Nicole. “Bernzomatic has the made the process so easy.” Submit your project idea by October 31 for the chance to win a $15,000 grant. For more details, visit findyourfiregrants.com.