Author: Nicole Larson

It happens every year. Well meaning creatives are chugging along with their projects (and life in general) when the holidays come rolling down the street and Bam! Bus. (I’ll buy you a Christmas present if you can tell me what show that came from) As soon as the leaves start to change, there’s something in the air that seems to press the fast forward button, making everything swish by. Soon you are spit out on the other side of a new year wondering what happened to you. You look down and see a few questionable bruises, five new pounds that…

Let’s be honest, unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’re on social media. Though I have to imagine that rent is quite exceptional when one lives in a cave. But seeing as though central air and heat are dicey in a cave situation, let’s correctly assume you’re in a cozy apartment, with your adorable little doggie, enjoying a bottle of red, and skimming through the granddaddy of all social networks… Facebook By now you’ve figured out how to share photos and updates with your friends and family.   But what may still be a little confusing (and you’re not the…

The other day someone asked why I write for Ms. In the Biz. The tone they used made me want to kick them in the shins with my LA-weather appropriate stiletto boots. However, in that next second, I remembered that violence is never the answer (and why scuff up the new boots?). Because when I really sat down and thought about it, the snarky person had a point. I’m not an actress. I’m not in the movies, unless you count my brilliant extra work in my husband’s independent films. (In fact, if you look me up on IMDb, it says…

Please don’t laugh, but every time I need a kick in the pants, I put on G.I. Jane. Yes I know, it’s ridiculous. But there’s something about Demi Moore’s I’m-a-badass-and-I-have-boobs-so-deal-with-it mentality that makes me want to get my shit together. Whether that means I do a few more pushups, crank up the house work, or focus harder on my career, it doesn’t matter, because the movie gets me all fired up. My husband lovingly makes fun of me because I mainly “listen”to movies while I write and work. Who needs music when you can pick a movie with a theme…

The other day I was having lunch with my three best girlfriends. With all four of us spread to the very drastic tips of Southern California (and even one with a baby), we only get to see each other once every month or two. And because of that, when we do get together, we’ve created this easy little system to start up the meal by going around to each gal and giving the latest updates. After the updates we expand, broaching any subject that dares to wander in our direction. So as we sat around with our mimosas and homemade…

Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Disney walk into a bar (go with me on this one). The bartender says to the three branding powerhouses, “Free drinks tonight to the brand with the most influence!” Starbucks orders an espresso shot (classic Starbucks), knocks it back and yells, “I’ve got the most Likes on Facebook!” Coca-Cola waves his hand at Starbucks says condescendingly, “Oh Rookie, how cute you are. Come back when you hit puberty.” Disney leans in and says one word: “Mickey.”Then he drops a microphone and walks away with his arms raised (where did he get the mic?) The bartender again: “All…

I had Stormtroopers at my wedding. Laugh all you want buster, it’s true. No I didn’t have Princess Leia bun hair and my husband, Kurt, was not carrying a lightsaber (though I’m sure he wouldn’t have objected). On the outside everything looked as a wedding should: white dress, tuxedos, candle light, beautiful fresh flowers, bubbling champagne. We just had Stormtroopers. What you want an explanation? Ok fine. Kurt and I had decided that we were going to gift each other with a wedding present on the actual day of. The catch? We couldn’t spend any money on it (which is…

1)    Spend 2.5 hours on your favorite blogs (like Ms. In the Biz!) taking notes. 2)    Bust out your new moleskin notebook you bought especially for the occasion. 3)    Crap, you left it in the car—hold on. 4)    Ok you’re back: Write down your goals for tomorrow. 5)    Look back and cringe at all the exclamation marks you used in your excitement (but who gives a crap, it’s your list). 6)    Go to bed. 7)    Wake up. Earlier than usual, because today is the day you are getting serious! 8)    Make a healthy breakfast (something with kale for sure) and…

The answer was simple. I said Yes. I didn’t even hesitate. Everything leading up to the moment was planned. Including the location. When Kurt proposed to me, we were right in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The air smelled of a delightful smokiness from the fireworks that happened a few minutes before. Everywhere I looked there were twinkling lights. Him proposing at Disneyland was no accident. He did it here specifically because of what he knew it would feel like. He did it so we could have a story to tell forever, with a background setting of our favorite place…

Ok, I’m gonna say it.  I know, I know.  Sometimes I look at it and gag myself.  However, when you want to take your creative thing out of the realm of hobby, you need to pay attention to your… …brand. Ew, gross, stop!  Brand!  Knock it off, Nicole! Ok, put down the pitchforks and let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, while I was working a 400+ person event, I was approached by one of the attendees.  Now being the event planner for this shindig, I thought she was going to ask about the agenda, or…

Imagine yourself basking in the warmth of the sun on another glorious day.  Now imagine that on this glorious day you are in a park and you have parked yourself (pun intended) on a bench right across from the weeping willow that reminds you of whimsical romances and flittering fireflies.  You reach into the white paper bag on your lap and pull out the still warm croissant and giggle at yourself at the fleeting (yet secretly obsessed about) vision of you as an elegant French woman.  Maybe the Eiffel Tower is over your shoulder.  Maybe a guy named Jacques is…