Just Me and My Thoughts

Getting Indexed by Search Engines

2010-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you read a lot of articles, guides, tutorials and any other materials about basic search engine optimization, getting indexed to search engines is the most important part of SEO after you've created your site and optimized its content.

What will you do after you've uploaded those web pages, optimized the content as well as your meta tags? Getting listed in SERPs of course! Here's what learned about indexing web pages:

Submitting to Search Engines

Many would say that submitting your home page to search engines is just a waste of time. Well, if your trying to submit on all those search engines then you really are just wasting your time. You can still do this method but my advice is to submit only to what webmasters' call “The Big Three”, namely Google, Yahoo and Bing (former MSN).

You can still get your web pages indexed without having to do this method. There are other ways, which I think are much better, that can help you get your site indexed and faster.

The Power of Social Bookmarking

If you haven't heard if Digg.com or StumbleUpon.com then you're way behind in search engine optimization. These are samples of a social bookmarking sites which is similar to the ordinary bookmark tool we have in our web browsers' menu bar. The difference between the ordinary bookmarking and with social bookmarking are:

you can access your bookmarks on any computer you use just by registering an account;
and share your bookmarked sites/links with other people.

Why Should I Submit to Social Bookmarking Sites?

Here are the reasons I've learned why we should submit to social bookmarking sites:

For fast indexing - high traffic social bookmarking sites are more frequently visited by search engine spiders. If you submit your site, the higher the chance you have getting indexed.
For traffic - people love interesting topics, important news, humor and tutorials.
Increase more traffic - posts on Digg, and other social bookmarking sites, also appears in SERP, giving you an even higher chance of web visibility!

Social Networking Sites

Do you like Facebook or Twitter? These are social networking sites where you can add links to a post. Isn't that great?! Now the key to the successful use of social networking sites is you got to have lots of friends; mingle with other members, join different groups, share your profile and be active, don't just login to your account to post a link. This link building technique is very helpful if you use it properly.

I find social bookmarking and networking as a part of link building techniques that you can both use for work and have fun at the same time. Because you get to meet other webmasters doing link building of their own, you can exchange SEO tips and secrets, and the normal internet users you can interact with while doing work. And best of all you can even earn extra income by offering link building services to companies/sites that needs help with their search engine rankings.

Sitemaps

There are two types of sitemaps we can use, the XML and HTML sitemaps.

XML Sitemap - This sitemap is used to inform search engines of pages that are available for crawling in a website.

HTML Sitemap - This sitemap is for your visitors. It is used as a guide/navigation for visitors who are looking for a specific page, product or service you might be offering.

Now, you'll find these search engine optimization techniques quite easy to learn and do. Submitting your site or blog to the big three search engines can take you at least five minutes to do, social bookmarking and networking can be time consuming but it's all worth it, and submitting sitemaps to search engines is a must-do if you want to get all your web pages indexed.

Nofollow and Noindex on Robots.txt and Meta Tags

2010-11-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of you are wondering what's the difference between the “nofollow” and “noindex” in the robots.txt file and the ones declared on the meta tags. Some search engine optimization specialists claims that there's no difference while others believe that one method is less valuable than the other.

You can ask it out on several webmaster/SEO forums, but you'll just get mixed responses. In here, I will give you the REAL answer! According to Eric Enge's interview with Google's software engineer Matt Cutts way back in 2007, there are differences in using NoIndex, NoFollow, and Robots.txt.

In The Robots.txt File

Even if you restrict Google's spider from indexing certain pages of your website, they can still accumulate page rank. For example, if you disallow the crawling of your “About Us” page yet your homepage links to it, PR juice is still passed on.

In addition, websites that disallow crawling can still accumulate page rank and be visible in search results. Why? If another website links to it, PR juice will be passed on. Google can sometimes use the information of a website submitted to ODP (also known as DMOZ) in order to display it on their results page, or when another website links to it.

In The Meta Tag

Let's understand what Nofollow and Noindex really means.

The Nofollow is usually used on outgoing links, when declared in the meta tag, it means “do not follow all links on this page.” With this, you are also telling the spider not to pass PR juice. However, the nofollow on the meta tag also applies to your links that points to the other pages of your website. This also means that you are depriving the flow of PR juice to some of your pages.

On the other hand, the Noindex means, “do not index this page.” Pages with noindex can still accumulate page rank if a there's a dofollow link pointing to that page.

Dofollow is the opposite of Nofollow - a link with no “nofollow” attribute assigned means it's a dofollow link. A term used by webmasters and SEO experts.

To sum it all up:

NoFollow means you're telling the search engine spider not to follow a link and also not to pass PR juice to that link.
NoIndex means you're telling the search engine spider not to index your website or webpage and not to show it on SERP.
The website or webpage in a Nofollow link can still gain PR if another site links to it without the nofollow attribute.
Pages with the Noindex tag can still gain PR if another site links to it without a nofollow attribute.
Pages with the Noindex tag can still be visible on SEPR using the information collected from ODP (DMOZ) or when another website links to it using a dofollow link.
Nofollow attribute on the meta tag of a webpage, applies to all the links on that page.
Nofollow attribute on any link applies only to that link.

So whether you use the Robots.txt or the Meta Tag, the results are still the same. The reason why Robots.txt is mostly used is because “it is the fundamental method of putting up an electronic no trespassing sign that people have used since 1996,” and it's much easier to declare which pages of your website not to crawl instead of placing the NoIndex code manually on individual pages' meta tags.

Commonly, SEO services do provide complete analysis of a website as well as recommendations. So whenever you are looking for a good search engine optimization service, never forget to ask for a website analysis first, don't just jump in and hire someone who said he can do SEO for your website.

Music Video: "Amazed" by Lonestar

2010-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's another great song, "Amazed" by Lonestar! The first time I heard this, It felt like, "yeah, just another lovey dovey song..." But when the time came that I fell deeply in love, I suddenly realized how meaningful and touching this song was! It moved me, really!

This hit single is included in the "Lonely Girl" album, made Lonestar the first country act to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts since 1983 (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's "Islands in the Stream").

Enjoy the music video from youtube!

Lyrics (please correct me if it's wrong):

Every time our eyes meet

This feeling inside me

Is almost more than I can take

Baby when you touch me

I can feel how much you love me

And it just blows me away

I've never been this close to anyone or anything

I can hear your thoughts

I can see your dreams

I don't know how you do what you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I want to spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Baby, I'm Amazed by you

The smell of your skin

The taste of your kiss

The way you whisper in the dark

Your hair all around me

Baby you surround me

You touch every place in my heart

Oh, it feels like the first time, every time

I want to spend the whole night in your eyes

I don't know how you do what you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I want to spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Baby, I'm Amazed by you

Every little thing that you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I want to spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Oh, Every little thing that you do

Baby, I'm amazed by you

Title: Amazed

Artist: Lonestar

Here's why many women today still thinks having a relationship SUCKS

2010-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Girl, how do you know you're special to him?

-- He shows it to you. You feel it.

Boy, how do you show she's special to you?

-- You show it! You put effort in making her smile.

Girl, but how can you tell you're special when all he says is that you are 'special' but lacks that action to prove it?

-- uhmmm...

Boy, WTF is wrong with showing a little appreciation with your girl by doing something special? It doesn't have to be expensive, even the most simplest thing can mean the whole world to your girl... Dumb-ass!

-- uhmmm...

*Here's why many women today still thinks having a relationship SUCKS*

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

2010-06-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

As the Google Webmasters' Guide tells us:

SEO is an acronym for "search engine optimization" or "search engine optimizer."

Basically, SEO is the method or strategy used by webmasters to improve their website's ranking in Search Engines (SE) in order to increase traffic and sales. Basic things such as review of web content and structure, are a part of SEO.

It's in the early 1990's where website owners began to realize that having their sites highly visible in SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) brings them more traffic and sales.

People who began to notice this have created techniques to manipulate Search Engines. Spamming and hacking Search Engines' algorithm were the main idea at that time, though it was highly discouraged by Search Engine Owners.

Due to this, the banning and decreasing of website rankings began. The people who did the aforementioned unethical way to increase their rankings realized that by following Search Engine's guidelines, they can also come up with satisfactory results, all that they need is patience.

Search Engines were made to provide quality information to its users, that's why they fight back and bite hard those webmasters who practices SEO the wrong way.

The Little Girl On A Plane

2010-06-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Category: Humor - Little Girl Jokes

A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when the stranger turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.'

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said the stranger. 'How about nuclear power?' and he smiles.

OK, 'she said.. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question

first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass - . Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?'

The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'

To which the little girl replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit? *She then open her book. *

The 1st SEO Philippines Grand Eyeball 2010

2010-06-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

Got this info from my Facebook account. It's the 1st SEO Philippines Grand Eyeball 2010, which will be held in Pasig City. All Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practitioners are encouraged to come and have a wonderful event with fellow SEO's all over the Philippines.

Event Location

The 1st SEO Philippines Grand Eyeball 2010 Event will take place at 30F UnionBank Plaza, Meralco Avenue Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Event Date and Time

Start Time: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 6:00pm

End Time: Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 4:00am

Event Page on Facebook

You can visit their Facebook Event Page to join the discussions, you might even find some new friends there as well ^_^

Registration

The message sent to me says:

Please register for the 1st Grand EyeBall of SEOPH. Those who will attend, or even might attend or will not attend, please click and register on the form provided below.

This form will also serve as a record for Official Listings of SEO practitioners in the Philippines.

You may register here. Registration is worth 1,000 pesos (includes the payment for the venue and food).

What You'll Learn

Search Engine Optimization
Tips
SEO Link Building Strategy
SEO Tools(Link Building tools and Automation)
Advance Blogging Techniques
Tips
SEO Link Building Strategy
SEO Tools(Link Building tools and Automation)
Social Media Marketing
Tips
Social Media Marketing Strategy
Social Media Tools
Link Building
Tips
Link Building Strategy
Link Wheel
Link Building Tools(Traditional and Automated)
Email Marketing
Tips
Email Marketing Techniques
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate+PPC
Affiliate+SEO
PPC+Affiliate+Email Marketing
PPC
Tips
Adwords
PPC Explain
Domaining
Tips
Domain Types
Domain Parking
Monetization
The Q & A: Ask and let the masters answer!

Don't Have the Cash?

Well now, not all SEO practitioners in the Philippines share the same salary rate. Whether you're working for an outsourcing company, local, or doing freelance, there are still some of us who just can't find enough cash to join this grand event. Here's a few options you can do:

Get a Sponsor
You can ask your supervisor, manager, or even your team leader if your company can sponsor you. This SEO event will not only benefit you, but also your client! Tell them that!
Cash Advance or Salary Deduction
In case you don't have the money right now but really want to attend, ask your HR department for a cash advance or salary deduction on your salary.
Last Resort
Borrow money from a close friend or family member. I do not advise people to just borrow money from anybody, or any friend of yours. Why? Because only your family and close friends can truly understand your needs (what ever it is), and if ever you are unable to pay on time for the money lended, they can absolutely understand!

SEE YOU THERE ! ! !

The Guatemala Sinkhole: It's not a Sinkhole according to experts

2010-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Don't call the Guatemala sinkhole a sinkhole because it's not! It's a "piping feature," said by geologist, Sam Bonis.

The the 100-foot deep, 66-foot wide circular chasm that happened in Guatemala was formed after the country was hit by the Tropical storm Agatha. Also, the city's bad drainage has contributed to its formation.

According to Bonis, “Our recommendation was that this could happen again. When you have water flowing from storm water runoff, a sewage pipe, or any kind of strong flow, it eats away at the loose material. We don’t know how long it has to go on before it collapses. But once it starts collapsing, God help us.”

According to Wikipedia:

A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by karst processes - the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks. Sinkholes may vary in size from less than 1 to 300 meters (3.3 to 980 ft) both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. They may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. These terms are often used interchangeably though many will distinguish between those features into which a surface stream flows and those which have no such input. Only the former would be described as sinks, swallow holes or swallets. A sinkhole on a glacier is termed a moulin or glacier mill.

As you can see in the video, the hole was larger than a street intersection, and as the reports say, the whole swallowed a three-story building and a house.

Back in 2007, a similar hole had opened in Guatemala, a 330-foot-deep sinkhole that had swallowed a dozen homes and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people in a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood. Sam Bonis was part of a team of geologists who studied it.

What's worse?

This could happen again! "There is an excellent potential for this to happen again. It could happen almost anywhere in the city," added Bonis.

10 Things I Really Hate About You

2010-06-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Boy, as much as I miss to see the smile on your face, I miss mine even more . . .

1. You made me cry

2. You broke my heart

3. You intentionally hurt me

4. You suck up to my parents

5. You lied to me

6. You made me wait for nothing

7. You destroyed my dreams

8. You took everything you can from me

9. You intentionally made my life more difficult

10. You disrespected me

Ranting about how I hate you...

2010-06-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

i hate you like a pimple on my nose,

i hate you like my eye bags...

i hate you like the ugly scar on my leg,

i hate you like the ugly curls on my hair...

i hate you like the stupid bubble gum that sticks on my gums,

i hate you like the sun ray that stings my eyes in the morning,

i hate you like the smell of lazy people who hadn't bathe in days...

i hate you,

for meeting you,

for crossing my path...

i wish i hadn't entertained you,

i wish i hadn't loved you,

i wish i hadn't even met you...

my life would have been easier to manage then, if hadn't been for you...

Movie Trailer: Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D)

2010-05-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to watch this movie! Alice (Milla Jovovich) looks meaner and feisty in Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D), I hope this movie is as good as the previous ones.

So, on September 10 this year, be ready to watch Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D)!

Check out some of the cast:

Milla Jovovich

"Alice"

Ali Larter

"Claire Redfieled"

Wentworth Miller

"Chris Redfield"

Spencer Locke

"K-Mart"

Kacey Barnfield

"Crystal"

Shawn Roberts

"Albert Wesker"

Kim Coates

"Bennett"

Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D) is a must-see movie in September 2010!

Is Manila Ready for an Earthquake? -- from CNN

2010-04-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

A big NO would be my answer. I did not need to be an architect, a scientist, or a politician to answer that question. I may not have scientific calculations and reports as proof, but I am definitely sure Manila is not yet prepared for an earthquake like what happened to Haiti (7.0), Chile (8.8) and China (6.9).

Earthquakes hit without warnings, they damage and kill without exceptions, so why isn't Philippines getting ready for it when we've already seen the destruction it brought to Haiti, Chile and China recently? I sure would love to be a part of that preparation.

According to CNN, after what happened to Haiti, Chile and China, Philippines could be next. The Marikina fault is more or less ready to give in, it goes straight into the heart of Manila where 11 million people reside.

According to Mahar Lagmay, a geologist, a magnitude 7 earthquake is like detonating a thousand Nagasaki atom bombs, underneath the earth's surface along the trace of the Marikina Valley fault.

Let's face it, it's not only the Marikina Valley fault that's in danger of giving in when an earthquake hit the Philippines. There are hundreds or even thousands of houses that has cracks on its walls and floors, not to mention, the poor housing standards our country has.

Felino Palafox, one of our country's top architects, has submitted recommendations to the government on what has to be done to make Manila safer, but got no response... Now that the election draws nearer, could it really be that politics is more important than the safety of the lives of many Filipinos?

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake could probably wipe out Manila, but what if a much bigger earthquake hits us instead? What would be left of Manila then?

Watch the video below to know more!

Though what the Philippine's defense chief Norberto Gonzales said is true, "there's no 100 percent preparation for a major earthquake... despite all the preparations, there will be casualties", a preparation is all that we can do to minimize damages and casualties that a major earthquake can do.

Source: CNN

Life of a Search Engine Optimizer

2010-01-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

As what most people would expect, we, search engine optimizers or SEO specialists live the same life on the net. You see us searching through the web for hours reading articles, joining all sorts of forums, interacting with other SEOs and even spot us on some social networking sites, but what you don’t see is that these things are a part of our job. It‘s not even half of what we do inside the office!

We may seem so similar with each other, but what really makes a search engine optimizer different from another is through the methods and strategies we use, our years of experience, and our aggressiveness when it comes to pushing our limits. Some find it easy to learn and understand what Search Engine Optimization is, everyone can be a SEO, but not everyone can be a good SEO.

Personally, I learned SEO by force and in a hard way. It was year 2007, I was a fresh grad looking for a job as a programmer. Due to many failed 3-hour programming exams (and one failed web design exam) on several companies, I ended up applying for a SEO specialist position in a small company in Pasig, where they offered me training. I was depressed and really frustrated at that time, so I took the job.

My SEO trainer made me do a lot of stuff on the internet that I never knew, like for example, blogging. Yeah I know, creating blogs is very simple; I was a shy introvert who spent most of her time locked up at home watching TV and playing Ragnarok Online, how am I supposed to know?! I was even embarrassed when my trainer instructed me to create a Gmail account and I didn’t even know where to start.

It was a very rocky road for me becoming a SEO specialist, but the moment I came to realize that this field kinda suits me, I held tight on it and instead of remaining a simple backup link builder for the big shots, I worked my way on top and became a real SEO specialist.

Let me give you an idea of what kind of life a search engine optimizer lives:

The Noob

The newbie search engine optimizer always, with a bit of fear, follows search engine guidelines, read lots of articles and join webmaster forums. It is a must for a newbie to always have his beginner’s manual whether it’s a hard or soft copy, and you may sometimes caught a newbie peeking at his fellow noob’s techniques. A newbie never spam, unless told so or forced to, and always mistakenly use his own personal info instead of using a dummy account.

The Experienced SEO Lad

By this time, this search engine optimizer has already realized that it’s much safer for him to use a dummy account. An experienced SEO has his own set of techniques and strategies, still read lots of articles, experiments on his new found skill, and definitely have his own blog. On-page optimization may still be at a learning curve, but improving, or rather, must improve.

The Somewhat Arrogant SEO

Now, this type of search engine optimizer is easy to spot. What matters is that if the arrogant SEO can prove his skills or not. The arrogant yet not so great SEO is more of a chatterbox than showing his skills, mostly caught by unprofessional writing of proposals and website analysis; or worse, can’t even write a decent proposal; and often caught by his superiors copy-pasting previous reports. On the other hand, the arrogant but skillful SEO may boast a few times but can actually deliver the goods.

The Half-Empty and Half-Full SEO

By now you are wondering, what I am taking about half-empty and half-full, I’ll explain it to you.

There are search engine optimizers that do very well in link building, but slowly lacking on-page optimization skills;
There are some who specializes in gathering fresh info on how to get more links, rather than how to do them;
There are those who are more technical than others who handles on-page optimization the best, but slow on filling his quota of building links;
and don’t forget, there are those that can part great knowledge, give excellent advice, suggest the best ideas or recommend the perfect plan, but still a junior or newbie optimizer working their way on top.

Beyond the learned skills and developed strategies, a search engine optimizer still continues to learn new ways on how to improve a website’s rank. It’s a continues learning process that gets heavy with responsibilities depending on how gradual or drastic are the changes on the web. So don’t be upset when we sometimes can’t make it to your birthday party or wedding, because the continuance of our search for knowledge is already a part of our lives the moment we became real SEOs.

House Staging Sells Faster

2010-01-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here's another good tip for home sellers out there. Getting your house fixed, repainted and trimmed does help prep up the interior of your house, but house staging makes it sell even faster. House staging is the part where you, as the seller, make your house appeal more to home buyers. You may even call it 'staging an illusion', but it's what sells a house faster!

The house staging process focuses on adding the “welcome” mood inside the house, making potential buyers feel they can live in it for a long haul.

Simple House Staging for Vacant Houses

Vacant homes attracts less visitors, so professional house stagers add in a few furniture to each room just enough to showcase the room's purpose, so that potential buyers can see and feel themselves living in it.

Simple House Staging for Previously Occupied Houses

After clearing the clutter, depersonalizing, and taking care of the curb appeal: Patching up holes on the wall and repainting it isn't enough, you need to get the right color combination for each room to make it look more irresistible. Not to mention, adding flowers, fruits, scented candles, and even a little bit of music. Paying attention to color, patterns, lighting and air gives a room that homey feeling.

Here's a few tips:

You may fancy dark a colored theme, but a house with bright rooms sell faster! So brighten up those gloomy walls and floors.
Make things shiny by thorough cleaning! Make the windows clear and shiny, make the bathroom tiles sparkle, dust and vacuum every corner of the house, polish the bricks of your fireplace and add some stone color enhancer to make it more attractive.
Always use fresh flowers and leave a few windows open to let the air in when a potential buyer visits the house.
If you want to add a background music, make sure it's soft and the volume is low so it soothes your visitors.
They say, the kitchen is the heart of the home, so make it look like one by adding a couple of bowls with polished fruits and some colored cookbooks on the shelves.
For the bathroom, you may add some scented soaps, lotions, moisturizers and towels.
For the backyard, potted flowers and plants would look lovely. You may also want to set up a picnic table for added attraction.

Professional house stagers uses different methods to get your house sold faster. Hiring one means spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars, depending on your location and size of the house, but with a professional, you can even increase your house's value and sell it quickly.

Tips on How To Sell Your House Fast: Preparation

2010-01-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

If you want to sell your house fast, don't rely on luck alone, careful planning is a must. Though it may look easy to broadcast your home for sale, it isn't the same when attracting buyers. I'll teach you a few tips I've learned that will surely help get your house sold fast so you can finally move on to that gorgeous new home you want!

Depersonalize. As the home seller, it is important that you disassociate yourself from your house. Set yourself to let go your house, as you’ve decided to sell it. What do I mean by this? Depersonalize by removing your personal photos and collections, family heirlooms, and everything that will make the house feel it belongs to you. No home buyer would want a house that's still attached to its previous owner. If you were the buyer, simply ask yourself, “would I buy this house”? Remember that YOU are selling your house and you need to make your buyers feel they can live in it, make them see themselves living in it.

Patch, Paint and Trim. Here's another better way to show your buyers that your house is in tip top shape. Patch up those holes, fix leaky faucets, fix that loose doorknob, wax the floor, repaint faded walls and windows, and so on. If you think your house needs a patch, paint and trim inside and out, do so! If you're a handy person, It'll only cost you a few dollars, a couple of hundreds if you hire someone, but cheaper if you ask your friends to help out.

Show More With Less. This means, to de-clutter your house. Not all the furniture you posses will make the house look homey for they buyers, too much stuff inside the house makes it appear smaller and uncomfortable. You'll be able to make a room appear larger if you maintain just enough furniture to showcase the room's purpose. Almost every home shows better with less furniture!

The whole point here is to get your house SOLD, not brag about your possessions. So don't make your buyers focus more on your possessions than the house you're trying to sell.

The Curb Appeal. It's the initial impression of a home, more buyers will be enticed to check out the inside if it has a curb appeal.

After you've done everything inside the house, you might want to check outside. If you're going to post an ad online with a photo of your house's exterior, no buyer will even think of calling you if your house looks worn out, and you also don't want your house to look like it's haunted. So, mow the lawn, plant flowers colorful if you must, trim the bushes, clear the sidewalks and get it fixed if it's cracked.

Finally, Getting The Right Publicist. You want to sell your house fast? You want to sell it for the right price? Then get the right publicist. Sure there's lots of them eager to sell your house, but don't just pick out one out of the blue. Take time to check for somebody who knows your neighborhood intimately, how long they've been in the business of selling houses, ask for a couple of references, know their marketing plans, and most of all, pick one who's trustworthy. You can attend open houses, search online listings, or even ask someone about their experience with their real estate agent.

Now that you know the things to look out for if you're going to sell your house, make look irresistible for buyers!

Music Video: "Time for Miracles" by Adam Lambert

2009-12-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the runner up in American Idol's Season 8, Adam Mitchel Lambert, has released his debut album named "For Your Entertainment," last month, November 23, 2009. Within this album is a favorite of mine! "Time for Miracles," which was included in the 2009 hit movie, "2012". You've got to watch the video below from YouTube.

Here's the lyrics for "Time for Miracles" (My apologies if the lyrics isn't accurate):

It's late at night and I can't sleep

Missing you just runs too deep

Oh I can't breathe thinking of your smile

Every kiss I can't forget

This aching heart ain't broken yet

Oh God I wish I could make you see

Cause I know this flame isn't dying

So nothing can stop me from trying

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

You know that Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

I just want to be with you

Cuz living is so hard to do

When all I know is trapped inside your eyes

The future I cannot forget

This aching heart ain't broken yet

Oh God I wish I could make you see

Cuz I know this flame isn't dying

So nothing can stop me from trying

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

Baby can you feel it coming

You know I can hear it, hear it in your soul

Baby when you feel me feeling you

You know it's time...

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that 

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't, I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

I ain't giving up, no

Oh I ain't giving up on us

Coping Up With Life

2009-12-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Through my miserable years of searching for answers why my life isn't as blooming as the others, or how come other people live a better life than me even though I know I am much better than they are, I found several ways to keep myself sane and my miserable life in order. Yeah I know, some of you might be wondering, "what the heck is she talking about miserable?!" Well it's a long story, I'll tell you next time, if I have the time.

As I spent my life through high school and college, I've always thought that having a partner can make life less complicated for me. I grew up believing that having a partner means having someone to share my miseries with, someone who'd understand and care even though it's my own fault.

My mom always says, having someone older than you as a partner is way better than having someone at the same age as you are, or worse, younger than you are. As a little girl way back in high school, I deeply believed in this, until the heart aches started to appear...

I started falling for guys older than me, the first guy was seven years older than me. The others were older than me by one, two, nine and ten years. By the way, I did not fall for all of them! Just a few :P

As I grew up, I realized what my mom said isn't true. I sure did learn that the hard way! All alone, standing up, falling, crawling in pain, and then standing up once more just to fall back again sure was agonizing. I had no one to turn to. You might be wondering why I never told my mom about these, it's because all she ever did was make things worse for me. She yells, telling me that I deserve it, that I the pain I felt isn't enough, that I needed more pain, that I'd never learn, and so on... Yes, you kinda figured it out! I wasn't the special apple among my siblings. I was the rotten one. I learned almost everything the hard way.

Through the ups and downs of my life. I decided to dedicate my whole life to someone who's willing to sacrifice, willing to take responsibilities, and willing to push his limits a little bit further to make life easier and comfortable for me. Unfortunately, I never found that guy... For the past 25 years of my life, I never felt this heavy depression of being alone and betrayed.

I finished high school, unlike those ungrateful bastards who left their parents and came home one day with belly as big as a watermelon! I finished college, unlike those who dosed their bodies with every kind of heroine, marijuana, and other kinds of illegal drugs, and yet got a second shot a life, a peaceful and happy life. From time to time, I even got noted by my professors as being one of the top achievers, a great student, someone who'll be having a successful career one day, and yet I am all alone. Left with broken dreams and a dismantled heart filled with hatred. Why so? I don't know.

There was even a period of time in my life were I became a teacher for our church, I taught little kids about the Bible and how God loves them. Heck! I was the last person in our household who continued to attend church! But not anymore. How could a person as sinful as I am go to church every Sunday? My mom lectured me well on that...

And so, here I am! Still smiling, still having fun with my friends, and enjoying every moment that I live. Not a care in the world! No matter how hard it is, I know I must continue for my own sake. Life goes on, no matter what.

But still. Left with broken dreams and a dismantled heart filled with hatred...

Love Poem: Longing

2009-12-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Category: Love Poems

By Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then

By day I shall be well again!

For so the night will more than pay

The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,

A messenger from radiant climes,

And smile on thy new world, and be

As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,

Come now, and let me dream it truth,

And part my hair, and kiss my brow,

And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then

By day I shall be well again!

For so the night will more than pay

The hopeless longing of the day.

My First Time At Farmers Plaza

2009-11-29T01:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last visited this tiangge, I missed the tawaran part even though I'm such a newbie at it. I even missed the grouchy sales ladies who snobs at me when I walk right pass their stall.

November 28, 2009 was a Saturday, my first time to go shopping all by myself. I was so used to shopping and going to lots of places with my boyfriend, but since I'm already single, I need to learn to do these things on my own now. Gosh! I find it really hard to adjust...

The first thing that came to my mind was to shop for a skirt that I'll be needing for our company Christmas party. The theme for the party is "Rock Star," so I decided to visit Farmers Plaza since I'll only be using that costume once.

Searching through dozens of stalls, avoiding annoying sales ladies who insists me to buy their expensive yet cheaply made shirts, bags, etc., I came into this small hallway where lots of cheaper stalls are. So there I was, looking for a skirt but wasn't able to find one. I find it a bit disturbing to see that most of the clothes these days resembles the ones the hookers use when they're on duty... don't know why?

Anyway, since there's no single (as in matino) skirt there I just bought me a new pair of pants, some shorts (I just wish I have the courage to wear them in the office), and a Php180-for-two slippers. I had fun that day, I never thought that I could actually have fun shopping on my own!

Now I don't know where I can buy a cheap, but reliable, skirt for the Christmas party... I don't want to spend much just to buy clothes that I'll only use once! Now where the heck am I going? Divisoria? Goodness! I don't even know how to get there, let alone wonder from mall to mall looking for a skirt. That's the huge problem I am facing right now, I can't travel to places like Divisoria, Quiapo, Recto, etc. without someone to accompany me, and that someone is always a boyfriend. Grrrr... I guess that's the hardest part of being single, but at least I'm free to do whatever I want! I can stay up late watching TV, playing online none-stop, going out with friends, drinking at birthday parties, meeting new people, and so on...

If there's one thing I learned from my past relationships it's: no matter what I do with my life, I still need to be responsible for all the decisions I make, life still goes on whatever happens.

Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

2009-11-29T00:20:00.000-08:00

This is a story about "boy meets girl," not a love story... The intro to this movie which immediately caught my attention, made me curious and a little bit anxious about the ending. This is the first movie I watched all by myself (actually a friend just gave me a copy of it), well I was used to going out to the movies with my boyfriend in the past, so please bear with me about the story telling part :)

As the story goes, Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) the leading man who believed that he can never be truly happy until he meets "the one," the one girl who he'll love for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), the leading lady, had a different view in life. She's a bubbly, cute and funny girl-next-door type of gal whom Tom fell deeply in-love with.

At first, I felt that this movie is just like any ordinary love story re-written just so to make it unique. Well, I was wrong. It's a romantic comedy film that slightly (I believe) pictures some of the life styles that people are actually living right now. Though the movie was made entirely fictional, you too will realize that you knew someone who's been living like Tom or Summer, probably one of your friends or neighbors, but who ever that is, I just wish it wasn't you!

Anyway, continuing the story. Tom had wished to become an architect (he did study about architecture before) but he works at a greeting card company and Summer was his boss', Vance (Clark Gregg), new assistant. After the company's night out party in a karaoke club, Tom's co-worker and close friend McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) had a bit too much to drink that he let slip the words that Tom is attracted to Summer, right in front of Summer. After that, the two became closer. I can't really say their a couple because they're not, Summer made it clear to Tom that she's not into the relationship thing and that she doesn't believe in true love. It's kinda hard to explain on how to call them since their not a couple but they've been going out and even making out very very intimately...

One day, after watching a movie, Summer suddenly decided to call it quits. The split made Tom very bitter and confused. Summer left the greeting card company and Tom slowly got depressed. Months later, Tom attended a co-worker's wedding where McKenzie was supposed to accompany him, but instead, McKenzie called Summer and told her to come to the wedding and accompany Tom. So the two met again and enjoyed their time together. At the wedding, Summer invited Tom for a small party at her apartment's garden roof top, he thought that finally they could continue where they've left off. At Summers party, Tom suddenly realized what the celebration was all about when he saw Summer talking to a friend while showing her engagement ring. He immediately left the apartment and got even more depressed.

From here on, Tom would only go out to buy alcohol and junk food, neglecting his responsibilities. After a few days, he came to office on presentation day but did not have anything to present. Tom lost his temper and quits his job.

Days went by, Tom decided to pursue his dream job, to become an architect. He started studying again and attended interviews. Summer got married, while Tom continues his dream, though he wasn't so lucky applying for a new job as an architect.

A few more days later, Tome was sitting on his favorite spot in the city (where he previously showed to Summer), when a voice from behind called, "Tom." It was Summer sitting on another bench. Tom, happy to see her again, congratulated Summer, unfortunately he never meant it...

Tom: You never wanted to be anybody's girlfriend, and now you're somebody's wife. I don't think I'll ever understand that.
Summer: It just happened. I just woke up one day, and I knew.
Tom: Knew what?
Summer: What I was never sure of with you...

I think it was "true love" that Summer was never sure of with Tom, though they've been dating and making out a lot. I guess it's true that one day you'll just wake up and suddenly realize that the person you're with isn't the right one for you.

Tom attended an interview one day where he met a girl applying for the same position as he is. He offered her to have coffee after the interview and then asked for her name, the girl replied, "Autumn" (that made me giggle).

And that's where the story ends! See, I told you, as the story teller also told you, it's not a love story, it's a story about boy meets girl ;)

... you can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple Earthly event. Coincidence. That's all anything ever is. Nothing more than coincidence.
... Tom had finally learned that there are no miracles. There's no such thing as fate. Nothing is meant to be. He knew, he was sure of it now.

If you're alone now, looking for the right person... well, I hope you do find him or her. Don't put or trust everything to what you call fate or destiny, it is you who controls everything in your life. Go out with friends, enjoy life, and if you meet somebody you like, go ahead! We only live once.

Left Over Onions Are Poisonous

2009-11-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

Clearly you must heard about this already? Well if not, then better read them now! This article is from: Uptington Blog: News, Reviews, Events

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I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge, and sometimes I don’t use a whole one at one time, so save the other half for later.

Now with this info, I have changed my mind….will buy smaller onions in the future.

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He’s one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He’s even developed sauce formula for McDonald’s.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed’s answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made Mayo is completely safe.

“It doesn’t even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it’s not really necessary.” He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment.

He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the ‘victim’ last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it’s not the mayonnaise (as long as it’s not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It’s probably the onions, and if not the onions, it’s the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. He says it’s not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It’s already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy

you’ll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you’re asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

So, how’s that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year.’

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

-------------------

Personally, I hate onions... I don't like the taste of it, but onions are commonly used in any dish we eat, so better be safe than sorry.

Coping With Heartbreak

2009-11-21T22:31:00.000-08:00

Seriously, how do you cope up with heartbreak?

If we see a friend struggling with his or her problem, we always seem to have the energy and will to give them advices, cheer them up and boost their spirits. But when the time comes that it's us who's in the middle of a big problem, we suddenly loose that energy and will power. Why so? Actually, I don't know it either! And it's kinda driving me crazy just thinking about it.

Everytime I feel so down and blue, I always find a way to cheer up myself. I guess it's just my ability to put up a happy face even if I'm in the midst of difficulties at work and in my personal life.

Don't get me wrong here, based on my experience, most of my relationship problems gets worse before it gets better... Is it the same with you? Unlike any other websites and blogs talking about relationships, I will not give you the same thing as most of those "copy-pasted" advices, ideas and tips they have!

Basically there's only one thing you could and should do when coping with heartbreak... cry... Cry as hard and as loud as you want. After that, look into the mirror, check if you're still sane, wipe out those tears and suck up all the pain. No matter what happens, life still goes on... In a relationship, there's never an easy way out to begin with.

You don't need those cheap relationship advice books or ebooks, you'll just be wasting time and money on those junk! The answer is just right in front of you, it's you whose making things more complicated.

What's The Real Meaning Of A Promise?

2009-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

A verbal commitment that most of us do every single day of our lives. May be a promise to attend a party, a promise to keep a friend's secret, or a promise to love faithfully. But what does a PROMISE really mean?

For me it's a ground for feeling hopeful, expecting to receive something good at the end of a rocky road. It's like telling a child in advance what's he's going to get if he behaves.

I see, meet and interact with people who make verbal commitments and yet neglect to keep it. Is this what a PROMISE means today? It seems like a fashion trend that quickly and vastly overtake a person's mind, without overlooking at its end result, people are forgetting what a promise really means.

Are promises meant to be broken? One shouldn't really promise if one cannot or will not fulfill it right from the very start, right? Or am I wrong? Maybe there are just promises that are meant to be broken after all! But what happens after the heartbreak, the tears, sleepless nights and the endless pain? I wouldn't count on another promise to make things right again! I'd rather stand up and walk through it alone, than to cling on another empty promise...

The Top 10 Model Money Makers!

2009-11-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Now these babes can really make huge bucks without having to cling to any rich and famous actor, director, producer, or be married to a multi-million dollar worth of heir! I kinda dug this info from Yahoo! Shine, posted by Sarah Bernard.

And here they are!

#10 Carolyn Murphy

Earnings (a year): $3M

Date of birth: August 11, 1973

Place of birth: Panama City, Florida, U.S.

Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Blue

At 36, her Playboy and Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue days may be behind her, but her Banana Republic and Lord & Taylor contracts (among others) keep her in the game.

Born and raised in Florida, Carolyn Murphy also lived for a brief period in England and Maryland as a result of her parents' divorce. Through this difficulties, it did not stop her from being one of the top model money makers of today! Her mother enrolled her at a modeling school, then started modeling locally in Florida, and later on flew to Japan and Paris.

Named as VH1/Vogue's "Model of the Year" in 1998, Carolyn Murphy also appeared in a film by Barry Levinson in 1999 where she was cited by Vogue as the "Model of the Millennium!"

#9 Miranda May Kerr

Earnings (a year): $3M

Date of birth: 20 April 1983

Place of birth: Sydney, Australia

Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Blue

The first Aussie to join the Victoria's Secret cast, Miranda Kerr earns $3M per year with big contracts like XOXO clothing.

A beautiful young model from Australia, who's best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels since mid-2007, an perhaps because she dated Orlando Bloom. Born in Sydney, but raised in Gunnedah, New South Wales, Miranda had planned to study nutrition before pursuing modeling after she graduates. But signed to Chic Management's Sydney division, a considerable commercial exposure after a series of beachwear ads predominantly for "Billabong", an Australian surf chain, in which she modeled surf brands Tigerlily, Roxy, Billabong Girls, and One Teaspoon.

And in 2003, Miranda flew to New Yourk, performed multitude of runway appearances, then signed with Next model agency in early 2004, and got booked for runway and print campaigns for major labels.

Because of her incredible girl-next-door look and beauty, model agent Ursula Hufnagl described Kerr as "the perfect endorsement", citing her ability to "truly sell a product."

#8 Daria Werbowy

Earnings (a year): $4.5M

Date of birth: November 19, 1983

Place of birth: Kraków, Poland

Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Blue

...is known for her doe eyes, which certainly have helped her land Balmain, H&M, Vogue Eyewear and Roberto Cavalli jobs.

Although she's born in Poland, this blue-eyed beauty also held a Canadian citizenship when her Ukrainian parents moved to Mississauga, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Like with other supermodels, Daria never seriously considered modeling, but after meeting a schoolmate's mother who headed Toronto's Susan J. Model & Talent Management, she found herself launched into the business.

However, after a year (and winning a national modeling contest) Daria left Susan J> model & Talent, and looked for another one. Her carrer began to flourish when she followed Elmer Olsen, Elite Canada's head scout, when he started his own agency.

Daria Werbowy's clients have included Lancôme, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Pepe Jeans, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Hermès, Valentino, David Yurman, Missoni, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

#7 Natalia Vodianova

Earnings (a year): $5.5M

Date of birth: 28 February 1982

Place of birth: Gorky, Russian SSR, Soviet Union

Height: 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)

Hair color: Light brown

Eye color: Blue

The mother of three is one of the most well-rounded girls on this list. She's the face of lingerie line Etam, Calvin Klein, Guerlain, Jacob & Co. and also runs the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity that raises money to provide playgrounds in Russia.

A sweet, innocent-looking girl with an impressive resume! Natalia Vodianova was born in Russia but resides in the United Kingdom. Due to poverty Natalia helped her mother sell fruit on the street and then later on set up her own fruit stand with a friend to help her family. Living in a poor district of the city with her mother and two half sisters, one of whom has cerebral palsy, isn't so easy for a little girl. Her father walked out on the family when she was still very young, had no contact with him, until after she had become famous!

Because of her desire to become a successful model, she mastered the English language in just three months at age 15 so she can enroll in a modelling academy.

Through her modeling years, Natalia appeared in numerous runways, magazine covers and advertising campaigns, which landed her as the 14th in the UK channel Five's 2005 television programme World's Greatest Supermodel.

This model, actress and now a philanthropist, founded the "Naked Heart Foundation", a philanthropic organization that strives to provide a safe and inspiring environment in which to play for every child living in urban Russia.

#6 Alessandra Corine Ambrósio

Earnings (a year): $6M

Date of birth: April 11, 1981

Place of birth: Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Brown

Alessandra Ambrosio, who is tied with Doutzen at $6M, is yet another Brazilian VS Angel. The 28-year-old, who gave birth to her first child last year, appeared on the runway just three months later.

Currently one of Victoria's Secret Angels, Alessandra Ambrósio, was described by Tyra Banks as "The future of the modeling world." What a compliment from Tyra!

This Brazilian beauty first started dreaming to become a model when she was still 8 years old when she saw a picture of top covergirl Karen Mulder in a magazine. Her parents then enrolled her in a modelling class at the age of 12 and when she got 14 she was one of 20 finalists for an elite modelling competition in Brazil!

She appeared in Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the first time in 2000 and later on became the first spokesmodel for Victoria's Secret PINK line. She also made several television appearances like in HBO's Entourage, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, as guest judge on Project Runway season 2, and twice in the Tyra Banks show.

Due to her insecurity with about her large ears, she undergo eleven cosmetic surgeries jut to get her ears pinned back! Unfortunately, two years later she suffered complications, appeared in the Tyra Banks show and and told everyone the surgery was a bad experience and has discouraged her from ever getting plastic surgery again. Well, that good! We're not pushing her to perfection! Everyone's made different, in a very special way.

#5 Doutzen Kroes

Earnings (a year): $6M

Date of birth: January 23, 1985

Place of birth: Eastermar, Friesland, The Netherlands

Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Hair color: Blonde

Eye color: Blue

Victoria's Secret's newest Angel, the 24-year old also picked up a very lucrative Seven For All Mankind jeans campaign this year.

Born in Netherlands, Doutzen Kroes is a Dutch-Frisian model who started her modeling career by sending snapshots to modeling agency Paparazzi in Amsterdam.

As one of Victoria's Secret Angel, this 5 ft 10 inch blue eyed angel has made the covers of Time, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Seventeen, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, W, Avantgarde, Dazed & Confused and Numéro. Her campaigns include Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, Escada, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace, Hugo Boss, Guerlain, Bottega Veneta, De Beers, Escada, GAP, Gianfranco Ferre, Neiman Marcus, and more! I guess we just have to watch out for more of Doutzen Kroes!

Although as some times, she looks like Richards (I must admit), I strongly agree that Doutzen Kroes has her own style and beauty!

#4 Adriana Francesca Lima

Earnings (a year): $8M

Date of birth: June 12, 1981

Place of birth: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Blue

Victoria's Secret's Brazilian bombshell Adriana Lima has seemingly risen to her rank based on sheer sex appeal.

A sexy Brazilian model often cited by popular media as one of the world's sexiest women, Adriana Lima, best known as a Victoria's Secret Angel. Adriana never actually thought about modeling on the first place, although she had won many beauty pageants in elementary school and when she accompanied a friend in a modeling contest who did not want to go alone, sent their pictures, the contest sponsor asked her to come out for the competition. Soon after, her modeling career grew even bigger!

Aside from being Victoria's Secret Angel, Adriana Lima also took acting, she took the role of a wife, alongside Mickey Rourke and Forest Whitaker, in The Follow (2001). Later in 2007, she also appeared with her fellow Angels in a guest spot playing herself in the comedy series "How I Met Your Mother".

#3 Katherine "Kate" Ann Moss

Earnings (a year): $8.5M

Date of birth: 16 January 1974

Place of birth: Addiscombe, Croydon, London, England

Height: 5 ft 6.5. in (1.689 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Hazel

She's everywhere this year -- as the face of Versace, Longchamp and David Yurman, among others, and her line for Topshop continues to thrive.

Well you know her, she appeared in over 300 magazine covers, in many advertising campaigns, and she even appeared in music videos such as "Kowalski" by Primal Scream, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" by the White Stripes, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John, "Sex with Strangers" by Marianne Faithfull and " Delia's Gone" and "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash.

Kate Moss was discovered at the very young age of 14 by the founder of Storm Model Management, Sarah Doukas, at JFK Airport in New York City after a holiday in Jamaica. Her parent was divorced when she was only 13, although she was not particularly noted for her academic success, Kate excelled at sports.

In 2007, Kate won the Sexiest Woman NME Award, made her first appearance in the British women's Sunday Times Rich List, ans was ranked as the 99th richest woman in Britain.

#2 Heidi Klum

Earnings (a year): $16M

Date of birth: June 1, 1973

Place of birth: Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal Republic of Germany

Height: 5 ft 9.25 in (1.76 m)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Hazel

...Victoria's Secret Angel as well as the host of "Project Runway" and "Germany's Next Top Model." Her endorsement deals include designing a line of Birkenstock sandals, and campaigns with Diet Coke, Volkswagen, McDonald's and LG.

Married to singer and songwriter Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (Seal), this hot mom from Germany is not just like any typical super model! She's also an actress, television host, business woman, fashion designer, television producer, artist, and occasional singer. Now that's cool!

Heidi Klum's acting and modeling career started when a friend of hers persuaded her to enroll in a national modeling contest called "Model 92" (April 29, 1992), in which Heidi won the contest and was offered an outstanding US$300,000 worth of modeling contract by Thomas Zeumer, CEO of Metropolitan Models New York.

In her Project Runway TV show, she received Emmy Award nomination for the show for each of the first four seasons, and gain, nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for "outstanding host of a reality or reality-competition show."

There seems to be no stopping with this German beauty, she also designed clothing lines, shoes, jewellery, the host for Germany's Next Top Model (actually she's a host, a judge, and co-producer) and has two fragrances named "Heidi Klum" and "Me".

#1 Gisele Caroline Bündchen

Earnings (a year): $25M

Date of birth: July 20, 1980

Place of birth: Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Hair color: Light brown

Eye color: Blue

Married to Tom Brady and pregnant with their first child together, she continues to promote Versace, True Religion jeans, Dior and Ebel watches. She's known for her sexy, feminine, and body-conscious looks.

Although she originally wanted to be a professional volleyball player, Gisele Bundchen joined her sisters Patrícia and Gabriela in a modeling course. She was so thin when she was young so her friends kinda tease her with the name "Olívia Palito" (Portuguese for Olive Oyl, Popeye's skinny girlfriend).

Who would have thought that this once skinny, Olive Oyl-like girl grew up to be one of the top earners in the modeling industry? And hey, she's a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program too!

She was named "the fourth-most-powerful person in the fashion world" by the New York Daily News on August 26, 2008, and on May 12, 2009, The Independent, called her the biggest star in fashion history.