No Kidding

Valerie has a trademark look: a pair of cuffed jeans, a long-sleeved top, sneakers, and an embarrassed smile. Recently, her scout-style scarf — a souvenir from Norway — has also become a consistent part of the look. Val is a Harry Potter fanatic, which sort of explains the round-frame spectacles as well. “Professor McGonagall is my favourite character,” she gushed, “If I could, I’d learn the spells for telekinesis!” Uh, wrong franchise there. Like a kid who never grows up, Val’s favourite book and movie ever is Harriet the Spy. She’s also got a quirky little “talent”. “I can echo.”