About Us

Everything you need to know about us

When we started talking about creating a new website for women, we wanted to avoid all of the common categories that advertisers or marketers tend to put us in. We didn’t want to be a site just for moms or just for single women or working women, or any specific demo- or psychographic. We wanted to create a smart, dynamic place for women to gather, get info and to connect with each other and the world around them. The important thing wasn’t how to talk to a 32.5 year-old with 2.2 kids but how to inspire you laugh, think, get mad, empathize, and be surprised and entertained. With Shine, we want to address the commonalities that make us such an amazing group. And we want you to be a part of it, not just a bystander. This isn’t a magazine or a tv show where you are an inactive participant. You help create this site. On Shine we want you to blog (go here to start your own, it’s pretty easy), to comment on articles, to vote in our daily polls, to join in the harangue as we discuss daily events.

We women are presently experiencing something very cool happening in our culture and Shine intends on being a part of it. We no longer need to stand by passively as the media portrays us as fashion-obsessed diet victims. With the internet as our megaphone, we can now portray ourselves as funny, opinionated women who are in charge of our incomes, careers, families and happiness.

So what you won’t find on Shine: Advice on how to please your man and diets that urge you to “lose 10 pounds fast!” What you will find on Shine: Why buying an expensive “It Bag” is a waste of money; how to make a meal in 30 minutes; how to make a face mask out of last night’s 30-minute meal (okay not really but you get the idea), how to de-stress at your desk; sharp, opinionated takes on the news; and finally, that you aren’t alone in your “Dancing with the Stars” obsession. We get it.

Thanks,
The ladies of Shine

Staff

  • Annette Cardwell’s Portrait Annette Cardwell Managing Editor
    About me
    I live in San Francisco, and have one incredibly cute little daughter with my amazing husband.
    Where I came from
    Grew up in the former “sweatshirt capital of the world” Martinsville, VA. Before Shine, I was the managing editor for Yahoo! Tech; and wrote about technology for CNET, Ziff Davis, and the Boston Herald.
    What I do on Shine
    I m the managing editor and resident TV snob.
    Favorite book
    Pride and Prejudice (I’m a total sap)
    TV show
    The Wire, The Soup, 30 Rock, The Office (both versions), The Mitchell and Webb Look, Breaking Bad, Mad Men,
    Movie
    Rushmore
    Song or band
    Beatles, all time; but currently loving MGMT and the last Radiohead album
    Video game
    Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
    Favorite websites
    Jezebel, I Can Has Cheezburger?, Fark, What Would Tyler Durden Do, Deadspin
  • Jennifer Romolini’ Portrait Jennifer Romolini Deputy Editor
    About me
    I was raised by vegan Italian Americans in Philly, came to New York to live some kind of late 70 s New York movie dream, found another kind of dream in Brooklyn. I’m partial to red lipstick, movies where people talk too much, uninhibited enthusiasm, eBay shopping, flat boots, hyphenated phrasing, unicorns, looking like a lady whilst talking like a broad and trying not to be (too) bitchy.
    Where I came from
    Before Shine, I was the deputy editor for Lucky magazine where I learned a lot about fancy hair and shoes. I ve written for The New York Times, Time Out New York and a bunch of places that no longer exist (RIP magazines).
    What I do at Shine
    I assign stories, help set the editorial tone for the site, oversee our Love + Sex section and contribute to Fashion + Beauty.
    Favorite place to do work now that I work from home
    By the back window in my Brooklyn apartment, staring at the birds (and squirrels, damn them) on my fire escape feeder.
    Style icons
    Marianne Faithfull, Parker Posey, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Denise Huxtable, Faye Dunaway in Network, Julie Delpy in 2 Days in Paris
    Favorite book
    The “Love” trilogy: Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing, Love is a Mix Tape, You’ll Never Make Love in This Town Again
    Movie
    Working Girl (estimated viewings: 23), Broadcast News, Little Darlings, Flirting With Disaster, Black Cat/White Cat, Mogambo, The Apartment, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost In Translation, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Broken English, 2 Days in Paris, and many many ambitious failures.
    TV
    America’s Next Top Model, 30 Rock, Mad Men, Lost, The Wire (RIP)
    Music
    David Bowie, Soffy O, Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Marianne Faithfull, Liz Pappademas, Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys forever
    Favorite websites
    eBay, Jezebel, Etsy, the frisky.com, nogoodforme.filmstills.org

Editors

  • Jessica Ashley’s Portrait Jessica Ashley Editor, Healthy Living
    About me
    I am a blogger, editor and writer. I have a thing for really bad reality TV, sugar-free vanilla skim lattes, killer shoes that murder my feet after ten minutes, Facebook and meditation cards. I’m all about celebrity snark, spiritual insights and singing Wheels on the Bus. I live in Chicago with my three-year old son who swears he’s going to be the next great golfer/construction worker/archeologist/American Idol contestant.
    Where I came from
    My writing is featured on Strollerderby on Babble, Chicago Moms Blog, Mommy Track’d, CarePages, ParentsConnect, Feminist Review and That’s Fit.
    What I do on Shine
    I believe that ginger tea will cure almost anything, avocado oil makes gorgeous skin, doing tree pose will teach you to balance your mind and body and that high fructose corn syrup is pure evil.
    Favorite place to do work now that I work from home
    Next to a window so I can pretend I really do spend some time interacting with the real world and not just my laptop screen.
    Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home
    I have an air-tight rationale for why reading PerezHilton.com is work research not procrastination.
    Favorite book
    Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Last Time We Met by Anita Shreve, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Whatever I’m reading.
    Movies
    Why would you watch a movie when you could be jumping rope or doing lunges? Kidding, kidding. I’ve seen Grease 58 times. Sad, true.
    Music
    My first musical love was Juice Newton. Today, I’m into angst rock by hardcore, soulful, tragically-wronged women in bad-ass shoes who could totally beat you down but instead choose to song lyric it out. And yes, that includes both Ani DiFranco and Dolly Parton.
    Favorite websites
    I read over 50 or 60 blogs and sites a day and I have many favorites. Lots of them are listed on my own blog at Sassafrass.
  • Dory Devlin’ Portrait Dory Devlin Editor, Manage Your Life

    I live in a New Jersey ‘burb about 40 miles from New York City, Basking Ridge, on a street filled with good friends and lots of kids. Mom of three, ages 15, 13, and 11. Girl, boy, girl. Love, love, love them.

    I am the Manage Your Life editor on Shine, a dream job via many years as a newspaper reporter, freelance magazine writer, a columnist writing about the workplace, work/life balance, and entrepreneurism, and a blogger writing about family and technology on Yahoo! Tech.

    I’ve worked full time, part time, and self-employed from home, but I’ve worked from home more than in any office. I’m kind of a work-at-home nomad; the best place to work around my house changes often because I need a change often. Sometimes, I love the library.

    Working from home is great, but messy. Just where is that neat, demarcated line between work and home?

    Best tip for saving money
    Don’t spend money you haven’t yet earned.
    Best line for calling in sick
    Don’t have one of my own since I’ve worked from home for so long, so this one’s from my husband’s cub reporter days “I’ve got a chill and I can’t get warm.”
    Favorite book
    Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
    Favorite TV shows
    “The Office” and “30 Rock.” Workplace sitcoms, of course.
    Music
    Fountains of Wayne
    Favorite websites
    WorkItMom, Salon, and Zen Habits, and BlogHer
  • Joanna Douglas’ Portrait Joanna Douglas Editor, Fashion + Beauty
    About me
    I grew up in Mystic, CT, and moved to Manhattan for college. The pizza is way better here, so I decided to stay put. I enjoy impulse items, cats, making lists, sample sales, and getting new music from my DJ boyfriend.
    Where I came from
    I studied journalism at NYU and found a way to get school credit interning at Seventeen and Jane. I then worked for New York magazine s Intelligencer, W, and ELLEgirl where I covered beauty, fashion, and entertainment..
    What I do on Shine
    I m the fashion and beauty editor and resident pop culture expert.
    Favorite place to do work now that I work from home
    On my couch, sometimes using a TV tray as a makeshift desk.
    Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home
    watching reality shows, reading celebrity blogs, and shopping online‹it s all in the name of work! I keep up with what s going on outside my Soho apartment via local news on NY1, Twitter, and running down five flights of stairs to meet the FedEx guy.
    Favorite books
    The Great Gatsby, Valley of the Dolls, Alice s Adventure s in Wonderland, Self Reliance, Kevin Aucoin s Making Faces, The Tipping Point
    Favorite Movies
    Annie Hall, North by Northwest, Rosemary s Baby, Sixteen Candles, Goodfellas, The Shining, The Big Lebowski
    TV
    Lost, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gossip Girl, 90210 (both incarnations), Project Runway, Seinfeld, The Cosby Show, Arrested Development
    Music
    Beatles, Jay-Z, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Police, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Blondie, Astrud Gilberto, Beyonce, Dusty Springfield, Phoenix, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Air, Rolling Stones, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Nirvana, Talking Heads, Salt-N-Pepa, Kylie Minogue, New Order, Kinks, Aaliyah
    My take on fashion
    I ll spend half my income on handbags, but will go cheap on everything else. I secretly hope the recent 80s and 90s clothing revival never goes away.
    Beauty essentials
    lipstick, mascara, eyelash curler, dry shampoo, and nail polish. I have nearly 100 bottles!
    Style icons
    Denise Huxtable, Clarissa Darling, 90s era Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, Mia Farrow, Erin Wasson, Betsey Johnson, Debbie Harry, the Golden Girls
    Favorite websites
    eBay, bestweekever.com, thedailykitten.com, missomnimedia.com, topshop.com
  • Sarah Fuss’ Portrait Sarah Fuss Editor, Food
    About me
    I like thinking about people and social trends through the lens of food. You’re more likely to find me in a restaurant than in my blue-tile kitchen but chances are, wherever I am, whatever else I m doing, I’m eating. I frequently hike and laugh. And I m always, always looking for a better cookie, a better green Thai curry, and a spanakopita as good as my grandmother s.
    Where I came from
    I was the editor of Yahoo! Food. Before that I did some writing for Radar.com, Flaunt, and Where magazine, among others. Before that I worked in politics and non-profits.
    What I do on Shine
    I eat chocolate, write about food, and work with our partners on their food stories. I love reading what Shiners post in the Food section; Your thoughts and recipes give me lots of inspiration.
    Favorite Book
    Alice in Wonderland
    Favorite Music
    Radiohead, songs that sound like country music but aren’t quite, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Paul Simon, Dire Straits, John Gold, Tori Amos, Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, Kanye, Rilo Kiley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, flamenco forever.
    Favorite Meal
    Breakfast – An egg bagel sandwich with scrambled eggs and American cheese. Lunch – I would alternate burgers and veggie burgers. Dinner – A dish that includes two or more of the following: shrimp, artichokes, pasta, mushrooms, raw fish, avocado, stinky cheese, Thai curry, Greek tomato sauce. Dessert – Grandma Rose’s chocolate pudding pie, Drink – Dirty Martini
  • Mira Jacob’s Portrait Mira Jacob Editor, Parenting
    About me
    I live in the best town in the world (that’s Brooklyn, baby) with my husband, a filmmaker, and our son, LBZ.
    Where I came from
    The village of Corrales, population 7,334 (2000). I’m the daughter of East Indians who had an arranged marriage and immigrated to New Mexico in the 1960s, so I have an absurd amount of love for spice and happenstance
    What I do on Shine
    I’m the Parenting editor, which means I spend a lot of time reading about all the ways I can mess up/ stress out my boy.
    Favorite activity with my kid
    Walking through Brooklyn. LBZ talks to every last hipster, drunk and old lady, and he waves to tree branches like they are old friends.
    Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home
    There’s a climbing gym a few blocks away that has my procrastination written all over it. I also like to call my brother at work from time to time, just to hear the concern in his voice when he answers.
    Favorite Book
    I have 27. Here are 10—Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, St. Lucy’s School for Girl’s Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson, Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, The History of Love by Nicole Strauss, Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas, Drown by Junot Diaz, The Book of Night Women by Marlon James, The Fun House by Lynda Barry. I also love anything by Edith Wharton because who doesn’t?
    Movie
    have fallen victim to motherhood. I never see movies anymore. Sigh.
    TV
    YES. All the usual suspects: Mad Men, The Sopranos, The Wire, 30 Rock, The Office. I also have a crazy bad thing for Top Chef.
    Music
    All time favorites include Wilco, Stevie Wonder, TV on the Radio, Jane’s Addiction, Tribe Called Quest, The Specials, Metric, Mos Def, Nurat Fateh Ali Khan, and Yo La Tengo. I also like how my husband will sing his side of an argument when I’m being stubborn.
    Favorite websites
    Many parenting blogs for daily sustenance plus The Daily Beast, NYT, Politico, Remodelista, Brownstoner, Epicurious , Etsy, and My Parents Were Awesome

Portrait Photography Emily Nathan

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