Janice has a fondness for blinky, sparkly things. Justin has a passion for electronics. When he decided to propose, Justin put those things together to pop the question in a special way. Using the Arduino board that she gave him, he hatched his plan: a programmable 8x8 grid of multi-color LEDs that she could keep and use to make any blinky pattern she wanted. Justin spent months finding the right parts, building and programming electronics, and building the exterior enclosure. A box of 64 ShiftBrite LED controllers were delivered to their house, which tipped Janice off that something was up.

Wiring up the ShiftBrites.

On the big day - their 8th anniversary - Justin took Janice to dinner at Cafe Flora, one of their favorite restaurants. He secretly prepared their table beforehand, leaving the LED box hidden underneath in a backpack. When they arrived, Janice saw his bag and almost tried to give it to the waitress. But, after some set up, the box delivered its message in blue and green: "fraxl will you marry me? ♥♥♥" Janice watched as each letter appeared, then said yes as Justin knelt and presented her ring.



Best appetizer ever.