Ariel’s other projects

I’m kind of obsessive when it comes to side projects, which makes me either a Renaissance woman or just a hyperactive freak. Here are a few of the things keeping me busy:

ElectroliciousElectrolicious logo
The blog that started it all. I became a blogger in 2000 and in the years since, Electrolicious has had over 1 million visits — which is pretty remarkable considering it’s mostly navel-gazing rambles and links to Justin Timberlake videos. My wedding posts on Electrolicious inspired the idea for Offbeat Bride, so if you hate the book, blame the blog.

Salon of Shame
The pros and cons of being Anne FrankInspired by an event called Cringe in Brooklyn, I founded Seattle’s premier showcase of adolescent humiliation and angst. The idea is simple: Seattle writers stand before you and read their middle school diary passages, high school poetry, unsent letters, and other bits of horribly shameful, outrageously entertaining adolescent writing. The chronically sold-out Salon has garnered the attention of Seattle’s alt-weekly The Stranger, KUOW, The Los Angeles Times, and Newsweek.

Microspotting
Justin pondersMy day job! I work for Microsoft’s Staffing Marketing as a marketing manager focused on social media. What does that mean? I use blogs, facebook, etc, to market Microsoft as a great place to work. (The Evil Empire made it easy by giving me a permanent job where I work three days a week and get full benefits. Score!) Microspotting is the place where I profile smarties I meet in Redmond. It’s like the paparazzi, but for geeks.

Mr. Bento Porn
Vegan Mr. Bento for DreUh, but it’s just a lunch box, isn’t it? Not once I got ahold of it. Then Mr. Bento, formerly a humble Japanese-made lunch jar, became a whole food-art movement, complete with an active online community of almost 1000 lunch freaks who’ve taken over almost 5,000 photos of the cutest, most lovely lunches.

Previous projects

Hooping.org
Doobla Hoop @ Gasworks ParkI co-founded the world’s only topical web magazine dedicated to hula hoop dancing and fitness. Hooping.org has been referenced by The New York Times, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), and The Portland Tribune. I’ve been interviewed about hula hooping by NPR’s Marketplace, The Seattle Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Although I’m no longer editing hooping.org, I’m still an active hooper … in fact, Offbeat Bride’s original title was And the Bride Wore a Hula Hoop.