Professional/Personal Overview
Copywriter, freelance writer and brand strategy consultant with 20+ years experience in consumer media. My work has appeared in Redbook, Working Mother, Fodor's, NBC, MediaPost, and The Seattle Times. I currently write marketing emails, web copy, humor essays, opinion pieces, and features on parenting, health, jobs, fashion, travel and shopping. My consulting business focuses exclusively on on children's media and family-oriented consumer products. Please take a look at my portfolio below or visit www.hopscotch-consulting.com for more info.
Work Info
Expertise
Copywriter
10 Years
Writer
20 Years
Content Editor (online)
17 Years
Specialty
Travel
5 Years
Family, Children & Teenagers
20 Years
Humor
15 Years
Total Media Industry Experience
20 Years
Media Client List (# assignments
last 2 yrs)
Red Tricycle (11+), The Seattle Times (6-10), Parent Map (6-10), Working Mother (3-5), Redbook (1-2), Sagacity Media (1-2), MediaPost (1-2), NBC (1-2), Fodor's Travel Guides (1-2)
Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)
Bergen Mama (11+), Scholastic (11+), The Mother Company (11+), Learning Touch (6-10), GEICO Now (3-5), Ameba TV (3-5), Imagine Media (1-2), Nordstrom (1-2)
Other Work History
Nordstrom, Inc., Seattle, WA
Equipment
Laptop, digital camera
References
http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonellis
Awards
Macromedia Site of the Day, bpnordstrom.com
Associations
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
Freelancer Availability
I freelance full-time. I live near Seattle-Tacoma, WA. I am willing to travel anywhere. I have a driver's license. I have access to a car.
Work Samples
Style
(Orange Magazine , 10/1/2012)
2,000-word feature article on social media fashion trends, highlighting the biggies: Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, The Sartorialist, @OscarPRGirl, and many others. Lots of detailed reporting and research went into this one.
(MediaPost , 9/9/2011)
Op-ed commentary on Teen Vogue's Fashion Week promotion.
(Daily Candy , 4/21/2008)
Digital perm review for Seattle Daily Candy.
(Nordstrom , 12/24/2007)
Article about teen fashion New Year's resolutions for Nordstrom.com's weekly fashion blog, "The Thread."
(Nordstrom , 8/8/2007)
Back to school favorites for Nordstrom's online teen fashion magazine, bpnordstrom.com.
(Nordstrom , 5/9/2007)
Editor's picks: spring fashion and accessories.
Essays
(Modern Love Rejects , 7/25/2011)
My blind date with Jeff, an eligible Plastic Surgeon who showed up smelling of soap and looking like a Mormon missionary. Little did he know about the dead husband...
(Redbook , 5/1/2011)
Personal essay for Redbook's "Stuff My Kids Taught Me" section.
(This I Believe , 8/30/2010)
Yes, I'm disorganized and I like it.
(Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2 , 7/1/2003)
Essay in Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2, edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap (Health Communications, Inc., 2003).
(Childhood Leukemia: A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers , 6/1/1997)
Essay published in Childhood Leukemia: A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers by Nancy Keene (1997, O'Reilly & Associates).
(Seattle Weekly , 6/12/1994)
How to make a buck selling retail in New York.
(Seattle Weekly , 4/13/1994)
It's tough when you're from the wrong side of the lake.
(Seattle Weekly , 10/7/1993)
Reaping the perks of Microsoft through its crew team.
Parenting
(ParentMap , 1/31/2013)
Review of the highly controversial "The Heavy" by Dara-Lynn Weiss.
(ParentMap , 1/29/2013)
First came the ABCs, now it's time to talk about STDs.
(Red Tricycle , 12/6/2012)
Wrote and researched this quirky and in-depth Santa photo guide.
(Bergen Mama , 12/4/2012)
Funny dedicated email for Kaplen JCC in Tenafly, NJ.
(Red Tricycle , 11/21/2012)
Service-oriented round up of charity organizations and causes in the Seattle/Puget Sound area.
(Parent Map , 11/15/2012)
Even with all the buzz on hyperactive parenting, kids still aren't prepared for college. Why? A hybrid reported/service piece looking at this complex issue.
(Red Tricycle , 7/22/2012)
Q & A interview with Jonny Moseley, freestyle skiing Olympic medalist and host of G4's "American Ninja Warrior."
(Red Tricycle , 4/17/2012)
Roundup of wacky kids camps in and around Seattle.
(Bergen Mama , 3/20/2012)
Review of party destination Jump On In in NJ.
(Red Tricycle , 1/5/2012)
A Mom Date - what's that? The equivalent of a "Bromance?" Please.
Roundup of the best places for mom get-togethers in and around Seattle.
(Being 5 , 12/9/2011)
What happens when kids come down with a serious case of affulenza during the holiday season?
(Halogen TV , 11/30/2011)
Does Mommy need a time out? Here are five quick ways you can get your occasional child care needs met in a pinch.
(Working Mother , 10/19/2011)
Essay for Working Mother's Blog Carnival on paid parental leave.
(Working Mother , 10/1/2011)
What to do when faced with a no-show sitter or a day care with inconvenient staff-training days.
(Working Mother , 10/1/2011)
2,000 word feature story on flexible child care solutions, including extensive research and reporting.
(The Mother Company , 6/2/2011)
Q & A with clutter expert Carolyn Koehnline.
Health & Relationships
(Halogen , 12/29/2011)
Reported service piece on how to declutter the bad relationships/ill-thinking in your life.
(Halogen TV , 12/2/2011)
Reported service piece on what to do if your beloved relatives are acting like feral children.
(Halogen TV , 11/23/2011)
Research, reporting and writing for this short service piece on charitable giving.
(Halogen TV , 11/21/2011)
Step out of those grumpy pants and slip into the true spirit of the season. Here's how.
(Bergen Mama , 10/11/2011)
Ever wonder what your trainer is eating to make them look so freaking fabulous? Intro and substantive editing on this short service piece.
Food & Dining
(Red Tricycle , 10/15/2012)
Restaurant review of Veggie Grill in Seattle.
(Red Tricycle , 5/24/2012)
In-depth roundup of the best burger joints in Seattle.
(Red Tricycle , 5/18/2012)
Family friendly Mexican food roundup.
(Halogen TV , 11/22/2011)
Researched and compiled seven healthy drink recipes for the holiday season.
(Red Tricycle , 10/19/2011)
Roundup of holiday-oriented cooking classes for kids in the Seattle/Puget Sound area
(Red Tricycle , 10/5/2011)
Where to enjoy a fine dining experience with the little ones along.
Travel
(Fodor's Travel Guides , 6/1/2013)
Updated "Neighborhoods" and "Puget Sound Islands" chapters, including heavy fact checking, local travel, and writing clever, informative copy.
(GEICO Now , 3/1/2013)
Colorful two-page spread on the best lakes, rivers and natural swimming holes in the U.S.
(GEICO Now , 11/1/2012)
Colorful and lively-written two-page feature spread on children's museums around the U.S.
(Red Tricycle , 9/15/2012)
Roundup of best places for family-friendly fall road trips.
(Red Tricycle , 8/10/2012)
25 fun-filled family adventures everyone must do before the rain sets in.
(Red Tricycle , 6/18/2012)
Best family getaways within a few hours drive of Seattle.
(Red Tricycle , 6/12/2012)
In-depth guide to outdoor swimming pools in and around Seattle.
(Red Tricycle , 6/8/2012)
Travel piece on O.O. Denny park in Kirkland, WA.
(Red Tricycle , 11/29/2011)
Lots of research went into this detailed family-friendly guide to the Seattle Christmas Ship Festival
(Seattle Magazine & Red Tricycle , 10/3/2011)
Fun fall foliage destinations in Seattle and beyond.
Jobs
(The Seattle Times (NWJobs) , 2/22/2013)
Time to sound off on the headphone debate.
(The Seattle Times (NWJobs) , 10/26/2012)
Jobs feature on independent contracting.
(Seattle Times (NWJobs) , 8/3/2012)
600-word career advice article, including research and reporting.
(Seattle Times (NWJobs) , 7/6/2012)
Job search and interview tips for introverts.
Opinion Pieces
(Parent Map , 10/11/2012)
If 'End of Men' author Hanna Rosin is correct, my son is surely going to need to "woman up." Op/ed parenting commentary & book review.
(Red Tricycle , 7/12/2012)
Humor essay tackling the pervasive "have it all" debate.
(TODAY Moms, NBC , 6/27/2012)
Op-ed piece on Nora Ephron's parenting legacy.
Humor
(Parent Map , 12/3/2012)
Why watching the hit show 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' reminds me of my own childhood...
(Red Tricycle , 9/5/2012)
Humor piece on the practice of 'redshirting' (holding kids back a year before entering school.)
(Red Tricycle , 8/5/2012)
Humor essay detailing our mock "staycation."
(Red Tricycle , 2/9/2012)
Oh la la, who's the superior parent now? Humor essay/satirical parenting memoir excerpt.
Shopping
(Bergen Mama , 2/6/2013)
Dedicated email copy for European children's retailer Fyglia.com
(Parent Map , 11/27/2012)
How do you "give" a virtual gift? Hand the child an iTunes gift card and let him fend for himself? Preload your tablet and say, "Um... here?" Thankfully there's a better way: just bundle 'em up.
(Parent Map , 11/25/2012)
Tech-e gifts for kids - including babies, preschoolers, school-age kids, tweens and teens.
(Bergen Mama , 11/13/2012)
On the twelfth day of searching for the perfect holiday card, my true love gave to me... (a dedicated email for Minted.com).
(Red Tricycle , 5/9/2012)
Mother's Day gift ideas with a local spin.
(Bergen Mama , 4/26/2012)
Review of for RealReal.com luxury consignment.
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June 4, 2013 | San Francisco
