I remember that feeling of OMG when I saw the first book I wrote a few years back. This time around it’s even more overwhelming because there are 2 of them AND they’re in FULL COLOR—FULLY PHOTOGRAPHED AND ILLUSTRATED. Plus, I shot a DVD to accompany some of the projects that is included in the books. They just look so damned big-time, I can hardly believe they’re mine.

I can’t wait for them to hit the shelves! In the meantime, high fives all around, back pats, butt smacks, hugs with tears, a round of shots on the house–I’ve got some serious celebrating to do!

Why so chipper this morning? I’m off to the Kansas City Remodeling Show! I’ll be the featured speaker there addressing eco-friendly and energy saving DIY projects and practices in the home: Save Energy, Save Money, Save the Earth!

And here’s something else I’m AMPED about (besides the vat of coffee I just drank)…I GET TO SEE THE FIRST COPIES OF MY BOOK SERIES!!! I can hardly believe it. After all the months and months of planning, writing, editing, etc., they’re finally finished and the first batch will be sent to the show, straight from the printer!!! The official launch date (when they’ll be in the stores) is the first week of March. In the meantime they’re on-line for preorder. Check ‘em out! http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-WILEY2_SEARCH_RESULT.html?query=norma%20vally

More to come on those books…but for now, I need to go pack!

My plan B is a tree house. I want to live up a tree on a tropical island. Yep, like a monkey. I’m rather handy—I can build a small yet comfortable living space fashioned from thatched palm leaves and coconut husks. I’ve promised to send post cards to family and friends of an aerial view of my host island with a little arrow pointing to my tree. They can come visit—but only if they surrender cell phones and Blackberries at the door, or should I say, bamboo beaded entry.

As of resent, some events have made me doubt my Plan B. Perhaps you’re questioning it as well– Norma, how could you live with no running water, no electricity, no walk-in closet? All valid points, but not what’s thrown my tree-house notions off kilter. It’s actually a matter of the heart.

I’ve fallen in love…with a boathouse.

I’ve been renovating a small boathouse on the North Fork of Long Island, NY and I’m in love, I just know it! All the telltale signs are there—butterflies in my stomach, loss of appetite, an urge to buy new bras and panties. The mere thought of my dreamy boathouse gives me the chills, and not because it’s January with no heat installed yet.

It’s no longer a “boathouse,” per say, but rather a small bungalow. There are new casement windows all around and 2 sets of sliding glass doors that give way to incredible views of Peconic Bay and Shelter Island. There’s a small well appointed kitchen and a bathroom with a large walk-in shower. There will soon be an exquisite gas burning potbelly stove. ..and this is how I know I’m really in love…working with wimpy space heaters in single digit temperatures would normally send me running to the nearest airport for a flight back to LA. But not this time. I’m so in love, I don’t even care about the cold or having to wear layers upon layers of long-johns to prevent icicles from forming along my butt as I hang drywall from a makeshift scaffold 13 feet in the air. Now that’s love….

Speaking of drywall, my cousin Sal and I are hanging this mold, mildew, and moisture resistant drywall—perfect for moist environments, like this sexy little boathouse just feet away from the bay. National Gypsum makes this product. It’s also sag resistant and Greenguard certified—which means it’s been tested for chemical emissions. Something else I really love about it, the face paper on it is lavender. So pretty I barely want to paint it.

As for my tree-house/boathouse quandary, perhaps I need to rethink the whole plan B thing—break it down into a Plan B (a) and Plan B (b). Then, depending on my mood I can pack it all in to either swing from a tree or cuddle in front of a potbelly stove. Sounds like the best of both worlds to me!

So now that you know mine, what’s your Plan B?

So I’m in my home in Brooklyn and suddenly hear CRASH, BOOM, followed by howls from my Aunt Rose-Marie. I run to see what’s happened, and there she is on the floor, with her leg bent in a position that didn’t seem humanly possible. It was obvious it was broken—severely.

A trip to the emergency room, x-rays, surgery (plate and pins required), followed by a month in rehab now brings us up to date. My poor aunt is still  trying to recover from this fall!

And how did it happen? She used a toolbox as a step ladder to reach something to clean! When she stepped off of it, it teeter-tottered, which sent her flying backwards. Not to hit her head on the basement floor, she shifted her body, and SMACK, all of her weight came down on the side of her knee—fractures galore.  AAAHHH!

In addition to my crazy travel and work schedule I’ve spent much of this summer making sure she’s been properly taken care of. Anyone who has had a loved one in the hospital knows what that is like… Then there are her 4 cats—which I’m highly allergic to. (Claritin, anyone?) Their way of dealing with separation anxiety has been to urinate ALL OVER THE HOUSE. (Gun, anyone? Just kidding! I love those kitties!)

Suffice to say, I’m kinda of behind on my blogging and such, so sorry there haven’t been any updates!

So what’s the lesson?

 (a)NEVER step on anything that is unstable unless you’re part acrobat, part super hero, or part rubber.

(b)If your niece asks you to go to the beach with her, don’t say no because you have to stay home and clean! (That’s for you, Aunt Ro!)

Like I always say, nothing will take the fun out of a home improvement project like a trip to the emergency room!

 Play safe, y’all! Ya hear?!

Ryobi 12v Lithium Ion Compact Drill/Driver Kit including:

•	HJP001 Drill with bit
•	2 Lithium-Ion batteries
•	Charger
•	Tool bag
•	Operator’s manual

I can tell you from experience, this little drill/driver weighs under 2lbs, but packs a punch!  It’s absolutely ideal for working in tight spaces..any place for that matter!  And given it’s lithium battery, it has 2X the run time, holds 4X the charge, and is 20% lighter than traditional Ni-cad batteries!

Friends, you could be the next winner of my quarterly prize package give-away, so don’t forget to sign up! Congrats again, Larry, from everyone at Chix Can Fix and Ryobi. Happy drilling!

Nevertheless, with the multitude of DIY shows on the air, I am so honored and proud that Toolbelt Diva is swingin’ right up there with the big guys on AOL Television Ranking.  The truth is, the incredible women that have been guests on my show are what make TBD so great. Intimidated, insecure, sometimes downright scared—these ladies tackle projects with me in their home and while knocking down their “Honey-do list,” conquer their fear of the unknown and earn the right to say—Hey, I did that. Damn I’m good!

So thank you all of my official Toolbelt Divas, thank you fans for watching, and thank you AOL Television for the kudos! Here’s the link—check it out!  http://television.aol.com/photos/best-most-useful-home-improvement-shows

�

These days, besides stuffing my face with all my fave NY foods (Brooklyn, to be specific), it’s all about writing my books. I have two new books coming out first quarter ‘09! Home improvement related of course, one covering bathrooms, the other kitchens.

While my first book, Chix Can Fix, was geared to women, this series is written for EVERYONE–male and female, every skill level.

So for now, I’m not swingin’ a hammer and wielding a trowel–I’m tapping a keyboard and throwing back hot peppers stuffed with provolone and prosciutto. In the meantime, if you have any specific bath/kitch topics you want me to include in my books, lemme know!

Big garlicky kisses to all!

NV

�