MOVIES to watch

"The Secret Life Of Bees" Namelia-J's Pick





Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen, her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters, Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping.



We Think: An extremely beautiful, touching movie that will bring tears to your eyes. A must watch for those who love sentimental movies.




"The Uninvited"

Based on Kim Jee-Woon's 2003 Korean horror film, "Changhwa Hongryon," "The Uninvited" revolves around Anna (Emily Browning), who returns home after spending time in the hospital following the tragic death of her mother. Her recovery suffers a setback when she discovers her father (David Strathairn) has become engaged to her mother's former nurse, Rachel (Elizabeth Banks). That night, Anna is visited by her mother's ghost, who warns her of Rachel's intentions. Together, Anna and her sister (Arielle Kebbel) try to convince their father that his current fiancee is not who she pretends to be, and what should have been a happy family reunion becomes a lethal battle of wills between stepdaughters and stepmother.


We Think: It starts off very cliched, making you think that the killer is right in front of your face, but this movie finishes off with a twist. A good movie. Eventhough it is not that scary, I heard a lot of screams coming from the audience when I watched this in the cinema.


"Make it Happen"

Lauryn is a young woman from a small town in Indiana who moves to Chicago with dreams of entering the Chicago School of Music and Dance. But after rejection and a series of misfortunes she finds herself working in a burlesque club. The club proves to be a place of conflict and self-discovery, helping Lauryn to realize that even though plans may change, dreams never do.

We Think: I thought that it would another typical dance movie, and I was nearly right except that the movie did not have a gang or a person where the heroine would have a dance battle with - admit it, most dance movies are like that, right? Like every other dance movie, though, it has the element where the main character wants to fulfill her dream of becoming a dancer. The movie is very cliched but it is not bad. I just wish that the dancing is better though. It is not entertaining enough, in my opinion.


"Mall Cop"

Kevin James, of King of Queens and Hitch fame, plays your typical "every man" character in this movie. Paul Blart is a guy whose dream job (New Jersey state trooper) is just out of his grasp, but who's making the best he can out of the job he has - security guard at the local mall. He lives with his mother and daughter and dreams of finding that one person who can love and appreciate him for himself. The fateful time arrives for Paul to prove just what he's made of when a group of really bad folks, disguised as Santa's Helpers, take control of the mall just before closing time on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. They chase all the customers out at gunpoint, lock the doors, and take hostages in the bank branch located in the mall, including the object of Paul's affection - Amy - a kiosk worker in the mall. Their plan - steal the approximately $3 million in sales receipts on the credit card machines in the mall's stores. They've got just one problem - Paul Blart.

We Think: A thoroughly horrible movie. I was waiting for a laugh but none came. It isn't funny. At all. The most that this movie will get out of you is a few half hearted chuckles at the beginning of it. Watching this was almost excruciating. Note: avoid watching this movie at all costs.

BOOKS, Pick of the Month: April

"Ten Things I Hate About Me" by Randa Abdel-Fattah  

 Namelia-J's Pick of the Month

At school I'm Aussia-blonde Jamie- one of the crowd.

At home I'm Muslim Jamilah - driven mad by my Stone Age dad.

I should win an Oscar for my acting skills. But I can't keep it up for much longer...

We Think: This is a very well written story about self acceptance and the way teenagers feel that they need to do anything possible to get accepted by their peers. I was touched when I read this book. I find that I can relate with Jamilah a lot - but I have not gone to the extremes she has; leading a double life. Another plus is that this book is pretty funny as well. A must read.



"Big Mouth & Ugly Girl" by Joyce Carol Oates

Matt Donaghy has always been a big mouth. But it's never got him into trouble - until one day when two detectives escort him out of class for questioning. The charge? Matt has been accused of threatening to blow up Rocky River High School.

Ursula Riggs has always been an ugly girl. She has no time for petty high-school stuff like friends and dating. Ursula is content with minding her own business. And she doesn't even really know Matt Donaghy.

But Ursula knows injustice when she sees it. And she's not afraid to speak out.

We Think: This book has received a lot of critical praise and we agree wholeheartedly with all of them! One example of the reviews that this book has received was by Publishers Weekly where they said, "Believable, full-blooded characters. Convincing high-school back-drop." Not only that, this book has received quite a few awards. What more can you ask for?

"Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys" by Kate Brian

Megan is used to moving from place to place - it's typical for an army brat. But she drew the line at South Korea. She insisted on staying in the States to finish her last two years of high school. So her parents made arrangements for Megan to live with thei friends, the McGowans... and the McGowans' 7 sons.

Turns out, living with 7 boys might as well be a foreign country! The boys are messy. They are cliquey (who knew?). And worst of all, two of the oldest boys are H-O-T. (A problem considering that they are supposed to be Megan's "brothers.") Megan is definitely in enemy territory. She needs to win over the boys' hearts without totally crushing her own.

And when Megan starts falling for one of them, sibling rivalry takes on a whole new meaning...

What is a girl to do?

We Think: For girls who have always had a fantasy of being surrounded by hot guys, this is a must read! This is a very light and easy read - I finished it within a matter of hours. It was really fun reading this book and I can't help but feel a twinge of envy for Megan. Come on, what girl in her right mind does not want a hot guy after her? ;)

"Pop Princess" by Rachel Cohn

When fifteen-year-old Wonder Blake is plucked from her job at the Dairy Queen and given the chance to become a teen idol, it seems like a dream come true - even if it wasn't her dream, but her older sister Lucky's. Lucky was on her way to becoming a pop star when she died, and Wonder and her family are still trying to recover from their loss. Offered a recording contract, Wonder jumps at the chance to escape from a dead-end town, her fractured family, and worst of all, high school. Suddenly she has it all: a hot new look, a chart-busting hit single, a tour opening for the superstar Kayla. But stardom isn't all glamour - it's also lots of work. And maybe what Wonder really wants is as simple as a guy who likes her for herself.

With spark and humour Rachel Cohn captures the stuggles and glories of an ordinary teenage girl's climb to celebrity. As Wonder rises through the pop-princess star-making machine, she also learns the price - and that maybe being an ordinary teenage girl isn't so bad after all.


We Think: I found this book very boring at the beginning. It was really slow and it dragged alot. But after awhile, it gets interesting. Really interesting. What with the problems that Wonder has to face, competition, people that hate her and bitch fights. This pretty much made up for its boring beginning. Give this book a try and you will find yourself liking it.

An interview with Raunchy NOT!

A few weeks ago we at Namelia-J asked the girls of Raunchy NOT! for an interview. Luckily, the girls were very nice and they immediately gave us the A-OK! :D

The interview was Hannah's idea but she was unable to carry it out due to National Service - I had no idea what questions she had in mind for Raunchy NOT! but I hope these will do.

For those of you who do not know, Raunchy NOT! is a blogshop run by teenage girls our age (17-18 years old). They sell shoes - think Boonga Shoes - and we think that they are pretty amazing because their shoes are done beautifully for people as young as they are.

Talented would be a word to describe them. Well, then, on to the interview!

1. Where did you get the idea of starting this online business?

Well I've always wanted to start a business so I figured, since online blogshops are pretty successful nowadays, I'd give it a go, along with my partner, we wanted to see if our talents could be recognized. (:

2. Where do you get your supplies (paint, shoes, etc)?

Well we get them from many different stores. There's a large art shop in The Gardens that has all kinds of paint! Including acrylic paint, which is what we use on shoes.

3. How did you learn to paint the shoes? Did you go for classes?

My partner and I have always been good with our hands. We mostly learned how to paint on our own, by practicing and experimenting. Art classes during high school helped us develop our skills as well.



4. How did you come up with the name 'Raunchy NOT!'?

To be honest, it was a pretty random choice. We were trying to think of something ironic. We came up with Raunchy at first, to try to form a sense of irony that our products are labeled "Raunchy" but weren't Raunchy at all. So began coming up with ideas and started drawing the very unattractive men and naked bear and thought we should make them sound bitchy and perasan. So we added NOT! As most people like to joke around saying stuff like for eq. "He's so gorgeous ... NOT!". Credit also goes to our beloved supporter, Harris, for helping us brain storm!

5. Are the shoes washable? As in, will the paint fade after washing it?

Acrylic paint is long lasting and water proof. Most painters and artist who sell hand-painted wood work use acrylic paint because it helps protect the wood and also lasts long. Same goes for shoes!

6. How long does it usually take you to paint a pair of shoes?

When we're not caught up in anything (eg. driving and COLLEGE oh hell) it usually takes us about 2 - 3 days.



7. How much do you usually charge for your handpainted shoes?

It usually depends on the original price of shoes that we purchase for the customer. If a customer were to send us a pair of old shoes that they want made over, it would usually cost less than RM50. (:

If you want to visit their blogshop, please click the following icon.

Pictures (taken from their blogshop):

First: Picture of the girls of Raunchy NOT!  

Second: An example of one of the shoe designs they are selling. Gorgeous!

Third: These shoes were custom made for one of their customers. Yes! They can customize your shoes for you! Isn't that great? So if you are interested, don't be shy. Ask away!

Fourth: They don't only sell shoes. This shirt is an example of other products that they are selling. They also sell accessories - check those out. They are reasonably priced and are very cute as well! 

We would like to thank the girls of Raunchy NOT! for making this interview possible. Thank you! :)

How to Get Bella Swan's Makeup.

Kristen Stewart is playing Bella Swan in Hollywood sensation Twilight.

Bella has a fresh, natural look that's simply gorgeous. Bella's description in the novel is "very pale and extremely beautiful with large chocolate brown eyes, so she wore colored lenses every day," says Jeanne Van Phue, the movie's head makeup artist.

"I also pictured her as a natural beauty, which is exactly what Kristen is. I used a light hand while applying all neutral colors to make her look as though she had no makeup on."

So if your looking for your own Edward Cullen, give Bella Swan's look a try!

To get a smooth, even base use your moisturizer and apply matte finish foundation. If you want to go for the pale look, use a foundation that's one shade lighter than your skin tone. Conceal dark circles and imperfections. Sweep pressed powder to jawline, temples and T-zone. Don't use too much powder, however if your skin is oily it's ok to press more on the oily areas, nose and forehead, so that you don't feel too shiny.

Use an earth-toned blush to give cheeks a slight contour.
For lips look for a brownish plum lipstick with a creamy finish.

To get Bella's eye makeup use two neutral matte eye shadows. Apply nude or vanilla right on the middle of the mobile lid and under the brows.

Work taupe or light brown into the crease and blend colors together. If you want to give more depth and definition to the eyes, you can also use an eyeliner pencil in brown or grey. Draw a thin line right to lash line and smudge it with a q-tip or a brush so it's not too harsh. Finish the look with a single coat of mascara on top lashes.