About Us

Meet The Writers

Haley Cullingham Associate Editor

Haley Cullingham grew up in Toronto and was supposed to go to university in Vancouver. Instead, she camped in the Amazon Jungle, learned about music in the desert, beat poets in San Francisco, ghostriding the whip in Oakland, and tall cans somewhere in a Motel 6 parking lot. She wrangled boom mics in South Africa, hawked art supplies in chain stores, spent far too much money on coffee and used books, and stayed in Vancouver long enough to see a few bald eagles. She traversed the continent by Greyhound bus and hatchback car several times before taking the Eisenhower interstate back to Toronto, where she settled down to live above a bar of questionable dealings with two lovely ladies who share her fondness for cheap beer, 4 am dance parties, and not wearing pants. Haley begrudgingly continues her quest for academic legitimacy, but she would rather be making up dirty words and dancing to Sean Paul with her comrades-in-charm at the She Does The City offices. If the past four years have taught her anything, it's that most things in life fall into two categories: Things That Are Bigger Than Hip Hop, and Things That Are of Equal Value To or Lesser Value Than Hip Hop. Haley is lucky to be blessed with a lot of the former.

Lousia Cohen Vancouver

After carefully collecting pieces of herself in Victoria, Montreal, and most recently Toronto, she has settled back to Vancouver as an adult – where she lived formerly as an angst-ridden teen.

Louisa looks forward to rekindling a relationship with the sparkling oceanside gem, as a more mature, albeit dramatic, gal. Louisa can often be found in the park with her nose in a book, or talking to strangers about finding ‘the one’. She’ll likely be wearing tassels, foolhardy lipstick, or something she’s stolen from her mother’s closet.

If you’d like to hang with her sometime, just throw on some Li’l Wayne, bake something delicious, and she should appear in no time… 

Louisa has written for Shedosthecity.com/toronto, BlogTO, and SwaggMagazine. She works in Canada’s publishing industry promoting the nations various authors and their books.

Caitlyn Holroyd Arts & Nightlife Intern

Caitlyn Holroyd has been living in Toronto for a little over a year now and has quickly fallen into the city slicker lifestyle. When she’s not studying journalism at Ryerson University, she’s on the prowl for new bars and coffee shops to try out or adding to her already ridiculously large wardrobe á la sales racks.

Kait Fowlie - Editorial Intern

I consider myself a part time romantic, part time party animal, and on the side, nacho enthusiast. I can’t remember the last time I turned down a spicy Caesar and I fondly remember the Organ Grinder Restaurant. If there was ever an establishment that knew how to party, this was it. I identify with many descriptions but when it comes down to it I am a small girl with big hair. I write a bunch when I’m not sabotaged by technology. (It’s a madhouse, this modern life.)

Annie Webber Fashion Intern

From lakeside to curbside, Annie Webber takes it all in and writes it all down.  Meet her at the mall, it's goin' down.  Meet her at the club.  It's goin' down.  Anywhere you meet her guaranteed it's goin' down.   

With a hot cuppa tea, plate of homemade biscuits and good company, that is. 

Rising to a new height of laziness, Annie has so thoughtfully copied and pasted her facebook Info page, for your reading pleasure. 

Activities: Oh, activities are my favourite. I love to write things down
Text People... I also love to sing songs that are soothing to the soul, and some that are as obnoxious as possible.
Interests: I love my mother, my father, and maybe most of all, but at the same time equally, my sisters. I love camp. I love Kittens Inspired by Kittens. I love laughing at jokes that other people don't get/don't find funny. And most of all, really most of all, I love vegetable stew.  And the Lord.
Favorite Music: When I think back / On all the crap I learned in high school / It's a wonder / I can think at all / And though my lack of edu---cation / Hasn't hurt me none / I can read the writing on the wall 
Favorite TV Shows: Iron Chef America
Favorite Movies: The Sound of Music
Favorite Books: Gnomes by Wil Huygen
Favorite Quotations: "Please enter, Kevin" -Hot Rod

Elli Stuhler Fashion Intern

Eliora Stuhler was always sick of people mispronouncing her name. At thirteen she started going by Elli, and at twenty she sometimes forgets her real name.  At 18 she left the leafy suburbs of Burnaby, BC for the greener (though paved) pastures of downtown Toronto, where she is a third year journalism student at Ryerson University. She writes mainly  about fashion, which makes sense because dress-up was always her favourite game. Other favourite things include late breakfasts at Auntie's and Uncle's, double shot americanos to feed her rampant caffeine addiction, Ratatat's second album and the Velvet Underground's first. She likes the idea of Paris more than the city itself because she doesn't speak any French. She does however speak German and wants to live in Berlin. 

Zoe Shapiro

There once was a girl named Twirly
Because her hair was so very curly
She reads books and binge drinks
On cocktails (don’t blink!)
She’s really a lovely pond-jumping girlie.

Becca Lemire Intern

all gold, all the time, being airbrush body painted by an industry professional, donning the hottest most exclusive couture shit, chilling at a Hampton's mansion with Diddy, mimosas n' brunch with male models, gluing Swarovski crystals to her limited addition blackberry, smoking those really skinny European ciggs, putting down other human beings with Simon Cowell, getting tattooed in the Puerto Rican ghetto by an artist from Cleveland, being Paris's BFF, modeling with Tyra, rolling around in money with Oprah, designing a franchise with Mr. Trump, smoking blunts, flying the red eye to LA to sign autographs, eating big macs . www.BeccaLemire.com

Taylor Berry

Taylor is a pint-sized dynamo keen on the finer things in life, including good books and fine wine. An endless source of obscure Simpsons quotes, she is a recent grad of McGill University in Montreal, where she was educated in literature, boys and French swears. You can usually find her on the Bloor/Danforth line with a novel in her hand, or at a College St. bar downing vodka tonics.

Sam Banack

"Sam Banack likes to refer to herself in the third person. She has an endless capacity for retaining useless information, but can't remember anything she learned in high school... She has been getting her hair cut by the same guy (Greg at Flip Salon in Yorkville) for over a decade. This is the longest relationship she has ever had, and the most rewarding.... If she knows you, or has seen you, she's most likely had a laugh at your expense, and expects you to return the favour, as she is constantly doing things that are unintentionally funny, she's just that spazzy, so are you, accept it, it's funny... She's learned that honesty IS REALLY always the best policy, and therefore tends to have kind of a big mouth....Sometimes she likes her ice cream to be just plain vanilla, and never puts it in a bowl, she is definitely a girl who eats straight from the carton....

She loves to run around town collecting tidbits and trivia, movies and bars being two of her favourite things, the third is telling people what to do. So she is thrilled to have this opportunity to combine them in one rock 'em sock'em website,

kick ass, take names, ask questions later"

Ivana Markotic

Ivana Markotic is a writer and student in Toronto by way of Serbia. It’s surprising she can form a proper sentence, since her teen years were dedicated to reading trashy British tabloids. Throughout her life, she has had to endure endless references to Ivana Trump and Austin Powers’ “Ivana Humpalot” because her parents refused to give her a Western name. When she is not in the lovely city of Toronto, she is wandering the world. Ivana has an unhealthy obsession with famous crackheads (think Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse) and her dream interview would be to sit down with Pete Doherty pre and post rehab for a comparative article.

Ashley Bartlett

New York state-of-mind with a serious case of wanderlust.

Brenna Flynn

Brenna grew up in a rink wearing costumes featuring puffy purple sleeves (which has contributed to her love of spandex on everyone else but her). She takes pleasure in the use of words like “holler”, “gangster”, “douchebag” and “stain”. She enjoys Dance Dance Revolution, she has no circulation in her feet and she loves wasabi peas.

Kirsty Mckenzie

Gimme excitement and a whole lotta flash!
Drag queen's saucy bat of a fake lash...
Colours, feathers and a glitter splash
I'll whip you up somethin' snazzy if you got the cash!

Passion fo Japanese fashion and peeps who go "all-the-way"
Gimme a funky beat and i can break it down to ya all day!
Kitty cat scratchin', dancin' til you break a SWEAT
I can eat a lotta food, give some 'tude and I aint done yet!

www.myspace.com/kirstyisthirsty

Sass Zucket

Sass need only be known by a single referrent, much like many a fabulous and successful diva before her time (Cleopatra, Madonna... Prince). The homonymic adjective being the single-most descriptive of her identity.

When Sass is neither babe hunting nor hard partying in more fashionable attire, with better looking people, at more interesting events than you are presently, she writes on blogs. But only the exceedingly elite ones like She Does The City and her own.

Please note that Sass has no concept of acceptable realities and at times, well most, is very much delusional.

To eavesdrop more on Sass' oft so-awesome-it's-almost-fictitious lifestyle, please read http://zucket.com Hollatchagirl via sass@zucket.com

Lizzie McNeely

Since I was born my older sister Jen has roped me into various escapades: the Dick Tracy Club located in a cardboard box in our backyard, Whitney Houston lip synchs, and a film promotion where we had to dress up as tennis playing zombies.  It was inevitable, then, that she would recruit me to write for shedoesthecity.  Plus, I am a bona fide expert of Toronto.  Yep, I was a tour guide on the Hippo, that enormous yellow bus boat that trundles about downtown Toronto.  A newspaper review of the tour described me as, “Brady Bunch perky.”  I’ve yet to decide if I was mildly flattered or mildly offended.  Nowadays, I prefer to venture about on my trusty blue bicycle discovering urban treasures and eccentrics.  

Therese DeGrace - Swimfan Extraodinaire

Therese lives and breathes food.  She cooks it, writes about it, talks about it on TV and eats it everyday except Sunday which is reserved solely for liquids.  Always politically incorrect and missing an edit button Therese falls up and down the stairs of life…if only we could figure out how to lock the door.

Rachel Miadovnik

Brit Pop always tickles my fancy. In a dream world I'd marry Craig David, own Lily Allen's wardrobe and sing like Amy Winehouse. Electro, however, brings out my A.D.D.ish tendencies like no other and is hellafun to party to. With a party dress on, and lots of bronzer I'm perfectly happy- but a gin and soda wouldn't hurt for an even more pleasurable evening. Colorful and tacky is my mantra, and if I
can't have that…I'll settle for a warm slice of quiche.

Robyn Sprott

Sometimes she bathes. Sometimes she doesn't 

Often literate, from time to time stylish; every now and then even simultaneously. 

Somewhat nuts, chronically cheeky, persistently entitled, diligently audacious, more often than not inclined to forget, tirelessly infatuated with obnoxious lip tattoos. Nonetheless curiously charming… An emblematic Ginger 

A Television prude but a music whore. 

Peanuts are her only nemesis.

Lora Whyte

Lora Whyte acts, listens to music, watches movies, writes things and sings songs from the film Cabaret in her bedroom. All of this in the fine city of Toronto.

Laura Quinn

I like fashion themes and naming articles of clothing. My Fall '06 was themed "Desiging Women" and Summer '07 was inspired by "Me Circa When I was 17". I think fall '08 is going to be "Petit Trianon Trampy". My raincoat is called "My Franche Tranche" and I have some expensive tight pants known as "Stand Up Jeans". If I could be a muse, I would like to catch the eye of John Gallianno. If I could be sponsored exclusively by a fashion house, it would be Lanvin. I break into cold sweats at suburban thrift shops, have rekindled a tenuous appreciation for the mall and fall madly in love with independent Canadian designers.

Olga Barsky

Olga is a recent university graduate with a useless degree trying to find her place in the world. It’s not easy to find a regular job when you’re a superhero. Olga spends her days lurking around the GTA, from shopping malls to reference libraries, snickering at badly dressed folks and pretending to be on a televised make-over show. By night, Olga turns on all but one light in her apartment, and puts on a Barry Manilow record, that’s how she rolls. She then proceeds to separate a large bucket of nuts into their types – peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts respectively. Upon completion, Olga disappears into the night, dressed in a tailored black ensemble with stilettos, and hand feeds all the squirrels in the downtown core their favorite nuts. You know how it is.

Rina Grosman

So, I have schizophrenia. On some days I’m a young visual arts university graduate and on others an 80 year old grandmother who teaches sewing classes (once you make a quilt you can’t go back). This craft column is just one small step in my evil plan of taking over the world. Basically I’m going to transform the young people of today into mindless sewing and crafting drones. Think the Borge from Star Trek meets Martha Stewart. Who needs lawyers, doctors, politicians, etc. when we can all sit in a circle, sing songs and crochet? They will spend all of their money on supplies and all of their time on projects that they won’t even know what’s happening. And I will instruct you all muahahaha. Koolaide anyone?

Radcliffe U. Hall

A freelance film student who fell into her current profession after an accident to her ear prevented her from pursuing her dream job as a pilot for Air Canada. She enjoys art history, wineries and the Canadian movie industry. She currently lives in Kensington. You can contact her at radcliffeuhall@gmail.com

Laura Serra

I’m the girl with two first names, Laura Serra. Yes, I’m that girl. I like to read and I like to write: that’s why I do book reviews. I maxed out every penny I’ve ever earned and will ever earn on traveling, I’m mean when I play board games, and I have a weird obsession with Virgina Woolf. I like making lists, crossing things off lists, collecting old picture frames, and telling people that I’m haunted by the number thirteen. I enjoy taking days off to watch movies, I prefer antiques to new, and every morning I have a deep and intimate affair with The New York Times. I enjoy making a mess when I cook, I live for the moment after I press snooze, and I wish Annie Leibovitz was my neighbour. I am right-handed but like doing things with my left so people think I'm left-handed, I hate myself for not going to piano lessons when I was a kid, and I love Oscar Wilde for making a good excuse for my bad habits: “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Rocky

My name is Rocky but I also go by Mookie, as in Mookie Wilson the legendary baseball player. My best friends are the raccoon, who sits on the fence and stares at me, and the parrot behind the fence – she likes to whistle and I bark back. My favourite pastimes include playing with my kong, sniffing bums in the park, finding leftover pizza on the street and licking yoghurt. My main interests lie in the world of contemporary art, as someday I hope to own a gallery on Queen West. In the meantime, I’m happy to frequent the many art openings in Toronto and lend my two cents on the scene and what’s hot. When I’m not writing for Shedoesthecity you will find me in my cave, which is a dirt pile under some bushes in the backyard. I have an irrational fear towards brooms and rakes.

Lindsie Canton

Lindsie is a gallery haunter. You will never see her, but if you are ever in a gallery and hear the floorboards creaking by the power of some mysterious force, it is she. Known to haunt painting studios, sushi bars, used bookstores, theatres, cinemas, and concert halls far and wide, it is rumoured she leaves traces of paint and wasabi wherever she goes.

Daniela Syrovy

Born in Bratislava, Daniela Syrovy escaped Communist Slovakia at age three to master the English language and discover Niagara Falls. She’s a wicked little girl and Jill-of-all trades. Once a burger queen owning a fast food diner called Big Burger in the west end of the city Daniela re-invented herself as a PR gal about town—working the film fest and helping local boutiques, events and projects get their word out. Her company is called ClutchPR -- www.clutchpr.com
Daniela is moments away from being a new mom and dedicated to maintaining her milfness well into her eighties.

Michelle Kuran

You Sea, I am a small-town fish swimming (thank-Triton not floating) in the big-city.

Hometown: Peace River, Alberta (five hours north of Edmonton; A River Runs Through It, some (I) call it Pitt River)

Population: 8000 people, pets

…There the Northern Lights often swallow my sleep, keeping me a wide-eye-wonder well past midnight. Emerald shimmers, simmers to lime squeezing-out the prettiest, palest, Sickest green. These curvy columns of color skip and sashay like a Double-Dutch-Duchess, flickering and fading like frequencies of sound, a stereo in the sky.

The only Cure for my In Between Days is Mint Car. On that *Note, I have ran through enough red lights and over enough orange pylons in my moms ’92 Blueberry Oldsmobile for the both of us, plus a guest, a passenger if you will. When behind the wheel I am not the Sharpest Tune in the Songbook.

Feathers, mans-best-Friend and Fedoras – when wearing I have gotten Pete Doherty (Pepsi, not ‘Coke’ for me please) and Boy George  (Big-Ouch)- are my three-charming Favorites.

My Family and Friends are my Fins.

Karen Cleveland

11:30 PM, scrawling on a napkin:

Dear readers,

Please - if you have a moment, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ms. Karen Cleveland and I am the resident etiquette columnist at SDTC. I treat others the way I like to be treated, always open doors, never bud lines, chew politely on my filet mignon and never ever lose control to a point of embarrassment.

My house is tidy, always welcoming and smelling of vanilla. I regularly host fancy tea parties and wear box-pleated garments and sensible shoes.

I am here to help make this city a more polite and consequently civilized place to dwell. I graciously welcome your feedback and comments to the column and hope you find the content useful and engaging.

Friend interrupts:
“Karen, you’ve spilled wine all over your shirt”

She fiercely responds:
”MOTHER F*CKER, GOD DAMNIT, NOT AGAIN - MERDE!!”

Little Miss X-Rated

After years of serious long-term relationships, I decided on my 24th Birthday to give it up and test out the single life. It's been almost a year of casual dating, one night stands, and making out with strangers. I'm finally at the point where I could be ready to settle down again, but my search for Mr.Right is leaving a trail of sexy stories. I've been recording all the juicy details in my Boy Diary, and hope you'll sneak-a-peek each week.

Lauren Valentine

Lauren Valentine is a twenty-one-year-old writer/assistant at a documentary company/babysitter/compulsive cookie dough eater (but mainly writer, she promises). She grew up in Sarnia, Ontario and, despite the Chemical Valley fumes, doesn't think she turned out half bad. Lauren was raised in a Catholic household and the only time she has ever been grounded was when mom found her birth control pills hidden under the bed (now that was an awkward week-and-a-half). Previous writing experiences include winning a Young Writers award for her self-illustrated book Zazena and the Pirates in grade one, penning most of her friends essay's throughout high school, and bartering her test notes for Snicker's bars during college. She is currently working on her first novel, a memoir entitled Tales From On Top of My So-Called Soul Mate. For more juicy and inappropriate details check out Lauren's website, www.iamdelicious.com

Denise Dias

The shoes: Chanel. The lipstick: Dior. The haircut: Tautou-inspired. So how is this girl not French?

Bred to live, breathe and love all things French, Denise began to adore French fineries at an early age while watching her chic seamstress mother tweak the ensembles of the rich and fabulous at a busy Chanel boutique. After spending childhood summers in Europe, she decided in University that it was time for the real deal: an authentic tour of France, complete with warm fresh baguettes and buttery pastries, copious amounts of the finest red wine, a red-light exploration of Montmartre, and enough shopping on the Champs-Élysées to replicate Laetitia Casta's wardrobe.

She knew from the first moment she set high-heeled foot in La Ville-lumière that she wanted to live comme les Français. Lazy Sunday mornings on a balcony enjoying un cafe au lait, shopping trips with girlfriends at Yves Saint Laurent, and adventures in mastering the French language. She writes for She Does the City to share her insider tips with you on how to truly live la vie en rose.

Lauren Solski

She doesn't even know who she is. Is she the girl walking down the street who has a smile on her face? Most likely. Is she the girl in the sunshine wearing heels and over sized sunglasses? She wants to be. Is she the girl who has the most stable, amazing relationship in the world? She wishes.

Her name is Lauren, and right now, she's a journalism student at Ryerson University. Although she loves her hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut, Lauren enjoys the "big city" life of Toronto and wouldn't trade it for the BIGGEST chocolate cake in the world....well, maybe she would.

Aside from fantasizing about large desserts, Lauren loves to act and dance.Someday, Lauren will become a famous journalist, inspiring young women to follow their dreams and to love themselves as they are.

In the meantime, Lauren writes for us.

Reta Robinson

Aspiring Pioneer/History nerd

I spent my childhood wishing I was Laura Ingalls and bossing every friend of mine into role playing Little House on the Prairie, circa On the Banks of Plum Creek, just after Mary's sight succumbed to the perils of scarlet fever. I always got to be Laura.

I even begged my mum to send me to live with a Mennonite family in St Jacob's, partly to fulfill my dream of being a pioneer, and partly so that I could eat ridiculous quantities of maple sugar candy. Instead, I got sent to pioneer camp at the Ontario Agricultural Museum where I insisted on wearing a pinafore and made strawberry-rhubarb jam from scratch.

I've since ditched the glasses for contacts but the pioneer spirit still lives in me.

Rosanna Carlucci

  LOVE. It’s all about the love. Rosanna loves to laugh, loves her family and friends. She loves to watch movies during the day and occasionally she will allow herself to rock out! She believes that truth, being kind and belief in oneself are what matter most, but if you can be glamorous while doing it- it doesn’t hurt. Self-confessed Glam-a-holic, she secretly wishes it was 1955 and she was a Hollywood starlet/pin up/burlesque dancer/showgirl. Is it too much? Never.

She loves vintage fashion, red lipstick and Marilyn Monroe. Collects vintage jewellery, pin up posters and magazines. She is forever obsessed with anything red or covered with crystals, because life is just better when it’s shiny… 
 

Jen Houston

Jen Houston lives in a house that she loves in the west end of Toronto. She can most often be seen blending in with the Bay St. crowd, but secretly sheds her officewear for tie-dye and ripped jeans at night. She makes fun of other people almost as much as she makes fun of herself, and marvels at how her black cats are just mini-panthers who would eat her if they could. Her goal is to see as much of the world as possible, but she’d go back to The Beverly Hills Hotel over and over. The Wizard of OZ is her favourite movie, and as a child she insisted on wearing toy ruby slippers every day. A total escapist, she watches it - while listening to her favourite album, Dark Side of the Moon - a few times a year, and is still terrified of the witch. She loves to swim, and usually wears a bathing suit under her clothes in the summer, just in case. 

Carys Mills

I was persuaded to move from England to Canada at age 11.  There was only one question that needed answering, whether I’d be able to go skating everyday. After confirming that I would, in fact, be able to go skating almost everyday during the winter months I realized I was destined to be a talented figure skater and make it to the Olympics. I laced up my first pair of figure skates, they were from Canadian Tire, for a 6 a.m. practice with a small town synchronized skating team. Lacking grace and the ability to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning I concluded that perhaps the Olympics wasn’t for me. Canada hasn’t been quite the same since, but after moving from middleofnowhere Ontario to Toronto things have been looking up!

Samantha Evans

Amateur psychologist, pro over-analyzer.

18 years of school and I’m ready to admit it: I’m a nerd. The kind who is irked upon finding grammatical errors in the newspaper (whilst looking for the crossword) and who delights in triple word scores in Scrabble. The kind who also rereads old diaries and corrects spelling… A nerd, yes, a weirdo, no. Everything is better on a patio. I relish awkward moments, preferably others’, often simply to comment on the degree of awkwardness afterwards. I hate waiting and ponder why scrunchies are not a thing of the past. In a curious but not creepy fashion, the first thing I check out on someone is their hands. If stressed, bored or procrastinating, I bake and clean.

On second thought, I’ll reconsider that ‘weirdo’ thing and get back to you.

Kimi Abdullah

She’s the trendsetting creator of the Boozed-up Living Room Dance Party. Well, she thinks she is. She describes her self as hungry, curious, neurotic, indecisive, kind, impatient, and sarcastic. Her head is permanently in the clouds - she dreams of being a celebrated writer and living the bohemian life. But in the meantime, she will keep busy by paying the bills with her current job, while detailing her culinary adventures on her blog Gastronomy and The Single Girl. And someday, you can say that you first discovered her on shedoesthecity.com long before her books made it to the New York Bestsellers list. 

Read Gastronomy and The Single Girl at gastronomyandthesinglegirl.blogspot.com.

Dilys Tong

Armed with a stiff martini and a pair of Manolo pumps, I am ready to take on the fashion and DIY world. I got hooked on sewing when I decided to go into fashion design in university. It was then I discovered an economical way to be a fashion addict. Do it yourself. My first project was supposed to be a knitted skirt until I cut the hem too short (lesson learned there, don’t hem anything after couple of cocktails). It became a tube top that ended up getting me many free drinks at the campus pub. I have this secret wish to create a law enforcement agency to ban all quilted and embroidered clothing. Really! The world does not need another teddy bear vest. I am determined to bring sewing back with a vengeance and a modern twist.

Rosemary Counter

Rosemary Counter is a dilettante, debutante, and muse. She enjoys vintage puzzles, party dresses, and wine-induced afternoon catnaps. She dislikes tardiness, virgins, and waiting tables. Though Rosemary pretends to like Henry James, really she likes reading the Stars Are People Too section while in the bath. When she grows up, she wants to be a writer or a succubus.

Rachel Woroner

Rachel runs
loving running and spinning
and stumbling honestly
on those busy streets
a young deer
in her urban forest.

Julie Reitsma

As a child, Julie decimated her local grocery store's parsley supplies in misguided attempts to plate her food, resto-style. When not focused on her technical bean-counting gig, Julie livens up her hours by drinking large quantities of tea, making up words, and losing herself in epicurean (now parsley free) reverie.

To date, Julie has decided that she would give up chocolate for cheese, enjoys a cold glass of wine, pockets where pockets normally wouldn’t be, pointing out the misuse of apostrophes while shaking her head, and spending time with her canine-accomplice, who may or may not resemble a small deer.

Jennifer Charlebois - Montreal correspondent

At the tender age of 24, Miss Charlebois abandoned an exciting, fast-paced job at a national TV network in her beloved Toronto to live “in sin” and semi-retirement a la belle province.

Between French lessons, cinq à septs, window shopping, drinking wine, eating chocolate, and weekends spent vacationing a la campagne, she aspires to experience all things Montrelais.

She hopes to provide you, dear readers, with a little insight into the people, the places, the joie de vivre and the je ne sais quoi of your intelligent, interesting, humorous and creative neighbours to the east, and to offer up some suggestions of things to see and do when you visit.

*muah muah* - a two-cheek “French” kiss to all of you.

Tammy Kenward

Tammy Kenward writes mostly about sex. She often sits in her tub with a bottle of Creme de Menthe and wonders why this is? Could it have stemmed from her early exposure to porn magazines, all those boobs and cartoon dicks? Or could it be that she's obsessed and has nothing better to do? Or could it be that she's had so many humiliating experiences in this area that she simply feels compelled to write it all down? You know, for therapeutic reasons.

Her short stories and personal essays have been published in NOW Magazine, Inscribed, The Erotic Woman, Clean Sheets and Literotica. Her website is: www.tammykenward.com

Stephanie Daga

I'm your friendly neighbourhood make-up and hair artist! I style and beautify models, clients and brides for photoshoots, special events and of course, weddings. You can find me at the shops all over the GTA checking out what's hot and what's new. On any given day I'm either scouring the aisles at Shoppers Drug Mart or the Shu Uemura beauty counter at Holt Renfrew ... then I'll share with you what I find and love by writing up a snappy post for my beauty webzine BlushPrettyor in articles that I write for various websites on the net. My superficial priorities are: make-up, shoes, jewellery and more makeup. I've been known to sacrifice a bill payment or two to feed my addiction. Frankly, I love beauty and fashion that much. Period.

Tegan Avene Hadisi

Growing up in London, Ontario made me realize pretty quickly that I wanted to live in a bigger city. I'm now living in Toronto and attending school, enrolled in Fashion Business. Being here now, I have a whole new perspective on life and the opportunities that are available to me. I love my friends and they are the ones that inspire me to create new things or create elaborate ideas of what I want to become "when I grow up". Tegan also loves the idea of home and cupcakes!

kimberly melanie andicat

professional mermaid, artist, photographer, actress, writer, marketing/PR, costume and jewlery designer, media, information and technoculture grad, cafe dweller, acoustic guitar & bonfire lover, white wine sipper.... previous employers include cirque du soleil, whistler film festival, pemberton music festival & luminato festival!

http://gallery.me.com/melanie.andicat

Becca Shrimpton

Fashion Arts student from the the Toronto Beaches with internships at Chatelaine Magazine, Vervegirl Magazine and Slavin Agency. Major magazine and makeup junkie who just pretends she can afford her addiction. Sashimi Sundays, New Jersey road-trips, and The Real World Cancun make her happy. Pretty much, just young, broke, and fabulous.

Melanie Ormston

While she may not have both oars in the water, this girl can float anyone's boat. Moving from Waterloo to Toronto in 2005, Melanie worked at the Toronto International Film Festival until 2008. Though not at liberty to disclose what it is she currently does, it may or may not involve signing a lot of 8 x 10s and responding to fan mail. Likely the latter. A bona-fide insomniac, Melanie fully embraces her decade-long dependence on caffeinated beverages and spends sleepless, shenanigan-filled evenings discovering all things fabulous and ridiculous in Toronto. Her laughter can be heard coming from packed patios and baseball stands in the summer, tiny coffee shops and hole-in-the-wall pubs in the winter, swanky events she has no business attending, and while observing all the alluring atrocities that make this city so entertaining and photo-worthy. Melanie learned to drive on a wood paneled station wagon, and went through a period of being convinced she was born in the wrong era ~ acquiring shag carpeting, performing ‘Dancing Queen’ on her 17th birthday, and purchasing a disco ball. She wishes that crowds of people would spontaneously break out into choreographed song and dance routines, and is notorious for losing and forgetting personal objects everywhere.

Realizing that life is too short to live vicariously through others, Melanie chooses instead to live vicariously through herself.

Heather Christie

Heather Christie loves teaspoons and bowls, hates birds and the colour yellow, and feels indifferent toward car ownership and colouring in the lines.  Her short-term goals include world domination and learning how to keep white shirts clean.  Her long-term goals include financial solvency mastering the art of back flipping off a diving board.  Heather has moved no fewer than 14 times in her life, but amid this marked instability, her enjoyment of soggy cereal has remained a steadfast companion.  Ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce are her spices of life. Especially post-bar, these noble condiments go with EVERYTHING, notably apples.  Heather will probably never settle down.

Kortney Laurén Shapiro

Kortney is a native Torontonian. She is wildly romantic and an entertaining conversationalist. She enjoys patent leather, thrift-store shopping, and cocktail-party antics. Kortney is usually over-dressed, and always punctual. She also dislikes men who wear their pants too low. Oh, and she has at least 4 million freckles.

Previously an editorial and fashion intern at Lush Magazine, Kortney is now a culture writer for the McGill Daily Paper as well as a fervent writer for her own self-indulgent blog, The Unapologetic Eccentric.

Christina Gonzales

Returning home from four long years in University, Christina is ready for all that Toronto has to offer. As a self-help addict and yogi, she shares with us her "Zenn" and quest toward self-development. A firm believer in wholesome ingredients -- in food, life and love --  with an itch for travelling, a heart for writing, and a career in advertising, this twenty-two year old fireball reveals stories of her roaring twenties and a new life in Toronto; an enchanted and glorious city. http://tweenty.wordpress.com/ 

Jenn Schramm

Jenn is She Does The City's resident Life Coach and writes a bi-monthly Ask A Life Coach column. Jenn spent many years living all over the place including, Switzerland, London, Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne, jumping from job to job, coast to coast, experiencing all kinds of adventures, relationships, careers, ups and downs, mistakes, victories and life events. After much trial and error, she made a big change in career from the corporate world to Therapist and Life Coach. Jenn has her own business and works one on one with clients and also facilitates workshops. Her mission is to inspire others to know, love and accept themselves in all ways shapes and forms and to live happy, inspired lives. You can find her riding horses, going on hikes with her dog, skiing or face down in self-development books. Jenn is happy to answer any of your life questions and you are guaranteed to receive an honest, kind and inspiring response full of food for thought.