First Buyblogreviews Payment Proof

My very first Buyblogreviews proof of payment. Though its not even half of my first Blogsvertise earnings, I still had fun blogging my first opportunity on both regardless of compensation.

May opportunities keep on coming!

First Blogsvertise Payment Proof

At last, I can say that I’ve successfully monetized my blog—a bit—as I received my first payment from Blogsvertise. I’m so happy! By far, it is the highest earning from a single blog post.

But what made me more ecstatic is that the payment is just in time for the SM San Lazaro 3-day sale (April15-17, 2011). I can splurge it on jeans. It’s been a long time since I scour heap of bargains searching for the right fit.

May there will be more opportunities from Blogsvertise!

Nuffnang Ads Bringing in Earnings in Pesos

It’s a hard habit to break. I’m turning into a midnight owl. Early this morning (yet it is still dark and the sun hasn’t risen) I had a surprise, a good news to start the day. (But I haven’t ended it with a good night sleep.) Confusing? Allow me to give enlightenment.

Clumsy Fancy’s First Reward: Versatile Blogger Award

Clumsy Fancy celebrated its first anniversary on October 12, 2010. A few days later I received what I consider as a post-anniversary gift: “Versatile Blogger Award,” not once, but twice. First Ria's World passed on Clumsy Fancy’s first award; later, Mindframes gave another VBA. The rare event is like CF winning in the same category for two consecutive years, one more for the grandslam. (I received the third from Yettezkie Doodle. Hurray!) For such recognition, I’m grateful for choosing Clumsy Fancy, and the gratitude is extended each time you spend in visiting and reading the once unheard thoughts made into posts.

Similarly, I’m quite pleased to pass on this award to bloggers who showed versatility in investing time and effort in improving their blog.

C'est La Vie
Do You Know?
Emila Yusof
Fickle Minded
It's An Orange World
On This Side Of Town
Puppy On A Roomba
Piper's Kingdom
The Sweet Life
Welcome To My Diary

For the "chosen bloggers", I know you can accomplish the following simple tasks:

• Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
•  Share 7 things about yourself.
•  Pass along to 10 Bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
•  Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.

7 Things About Me:

1. I have to confess—that I’m addicted to blogging. I’m not bothered, yet, because I’m not the only one.
2. Once I start reading a novel, I commit myself till I read the last sentence; other task or chores can wait.
3. My inclination to Koreanovela has grown over the years due to different factors: unpredictable twist of the story, clarity of the scene as seen on tv, and picturesque sceneries.
4. The Internet is my instructor in learning how to play the keyboard since August this year.
5. I have another addiction—that is, to organize my stuff. The presence of clutter bothers the mild obsessive-compulsive part of me. Just an advice, 15-minute decluttering each day can keep things in order.
6. I have a penchant in knowing the meaning of words and its etymology, and learning a foreign language: Spanish.
7. Harry Potter movies are what I consider a must-see-in-cinema obligation each year. I’ve only missed “Chamber of Secrets” in theater and nothing follows up to “Deathly Hallows,” which is about to reveal the conclusion of the story.

Now I've just disclosed a bit of information about the blogger behind Clumsy Fancy. To the winners, it's your turn and CONGRATULATIONS!

The Writer: Everything Is Free for 7 Days

Yesterday, I received a good news delivered in my inbox. The Writer magazine has a 7-day open house starting from October 15 –22; what’s in it for you? In a week, anywhere you are as long as you have Internet connection, everything in the site is accessible for free. You don’t have to be a member to take advantage of the invaluable wealth of knowledge.

1st Anniversary of Clumsy Fancy

On this same date, a year ago, I published the first post of Clumsy Fancy in just a few minutes. The ease of use of Blogger made the task of having a personal online diary less frightening.

Several months before becoming a blogger, the idea of having a space for myself on the web lingers in my mind. By the time I already decided to have one, coming up with a name for my blog has preoccupied my thoughts. What word or words can best describe my personality that would reflect on my blog? The list grew. Reject some then add another. It’s a bit tiring—for my head—that I ask, “Can’t I come up with a simple name so as I can move on to writing which is easier than naming things?" A rhyme ended my search--Clumsy Fancy; two words that can describe my blog in so many ways.

Blogger Day Off--How Badly Do You Need It?

Of all the things I’m doing each day, blogging is one thing I don’t want to do without. I can do this every day. I do get tired but I’m sure ready to write again the following day with fresh ideas and older ones that still didn’t make it on the web.

In each of my two blogs, I publish 2 or 3 post in a week. Compare to some bloggers, those are meager. Yet I find myself doing daily blog-related tasks: writing draft, taking photos, researching, and the recent job imposed by my sister—making a theme for her personal blog. It’s either I accept it or endure seeing her making changes that hardly shows what her blog is all about. Every addition is a mismatch to the rest; there’s no unity.

And on top of it all, I haven’t started writing for a new blog my sister and I bought agree to work on since it meets our interests: she can earn from it while I can write something I like—and perhaps monetarily benefit as well, though it’s not my main goal.
To help, to inform, and to entertain are the stimulus that prevents me from wanting a blogger day off especially when readers gave sincere comments—the intangible, long lasting compensations I wouldn’t mind having each day.

Anyone who wants a blogger day off? For those who have oodles of blogs, can you afford to hit the sack, have a movie marathon, or ramble without taking your laptop along? Whether we need it or not there is a day in a week we must take a rest: Sunday, a family day. Blogger or not let’s use the time in this day wisely. Save your concerns for the rest of the week.

Oops! I'm publishing this post on Sunday, but I did write it a few days ago. (I don't have better alibi yet.)

A Doggy Blog for Chuchie

Blackeyed Chuchie is at which I blog about Chuchie, a 3-month-old cute Aspin, and her adventures. It’s already up and running, but changes should be done gradually later. This coming October is my blogging anniversary and for Clumsy Fancy, my first web log. Time flies fast. I’ve been writing, sharing my thought, and receiving various reactions for almost a year. I’m having fun with this new hobby that I made another blog focusing on someone dear to me.

It has been an overdue project waiting to materialize. Much happened, but finally in the first week of August I conquered obstacles and published my first post for Blackeyed Chuchie. From then on, I’ve spent much time on Chuchie’s blog than mine writing, adding gadgets, and being challenge by photography. Capturing a photo is the hardest part, not because my digital camera is complicated, but I blame it on my subject who runs a lot, ignores my command, and yet wants a reward.

It is always a challenge for me to take a photo to somehow convince people that she’s adorable, huggable, and likeable. Will readers see from my perspective? Well, you can have a look and judge it yourself. Ok, just one last-ditch effort—if you could see her up close and personal, you might agree with me at some point. (I’m becoming persistent these days, but hopefully not a liar.) May you enjoy reading Chuchie’s ups and downs!

Spruce up a Gadget in the Sidebar, a Must Improvement

I want to share another improvement to my blog which you can apply. My gadgets in the sidebar usually look simple: the title is on top and the links/list follows.

Later on I noticed that uniformity makes my left and right sidebars a bit dull. To remedy the problem, I used CSS to emphasize, to liven up some parts, and to break the onset of boredom. For example the picture at the left looks more enticing and eye-catching than the one at the right; the improve version serves as an example from which you can alter to make variation like what I did.


The Transformation

First log in to your Blogger account. Go to Design, click Add a Gadget then choose HTML/Javascript. Copy and paste the following code:

style type="text/css"><!--

#eib {
      border: 1px solid #f8e69f;
      margin-top: 15px;
}

#eib_title {
      padding-left: 10px;
      background: #f8e69f;
      border-bottom: 1px solid #f8e69f;
      color: #806b18;
      font: bold 9pt arial;
      letter-spacing: 1px;
      height: 25px;
      padding-top: 8px;
}

#eib li.ctg{
      text-decoration: underline;
      font-weight: bold; 
}

#eib ul{
      padding: 8px 0px 8px 10px;
}

--></style>

<div id="eib">
<div id="eib_title">EXTRA INCOME BY:</div>

<ul>
<li class="ctg">Writing</li>
<li>Become a REVIEWER!</li>
<li>Write till you drop!</li>
<li>Blog more.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li  class="ctg">More!</li>
<li>Bookmark, socialize, and earn.</li>
</ul>
</div>

Note:

• You have to apply the CSS within <style type="text/css"> in the gadget rather than in the template.
• You can name the id (eg. #eib) with any word you prefer; however make sure you follow the format.
• #eib formats the border, #eib_title formats the title (EXTRA INCOME BY), #eib li.ctg formats the category (Writing and More!), and #eib ul gives space between the border and the list.

You will have to play around with colors, font and other properties to achieve the preferred outcome. Using this tip, you can now make a noticeable list or message with a unique style. Simplicity is beauty, but change is important to keep our blog interesting and pleasing for our readers.

LinkWithin Widget, Just What I Need

When I decided to add related posts for my blogger blog, I thought it was going to be easy. Searching and picking the right one took most of my time and energy. The long codes, mostly javascript, scared me that I hesitate to include any of them in my template. But the varied feedbacks of those who dare made me scour the Internet for a simple one: LinkWithin, a widget I often see on blogs of different platforms: Wordpress, Blogger and Typepad.

Tips in Changing a Blogger Template

The headache I’ve been complaining on “The Elusive Free Blogger Template,” didn’t go to waste because I’ve learned lessons and tricks in changing a blogger template. To serve as a guide for others, I want to impart these hard-earned lessons into two parts: designing and coding your template.

A Year of Online Writing, How Far Did I Go?

How can I forget! It’s been a year already since I entered the exciting, frustrating and gratifying world of online writing.

Here’s a chronology of my so far one year journey:

• Though I’ve submitted two article in 2007, it was only in April 2009 I took online writing seriously and started earning— the part that encourage me to do more, yet a possibility I doubt at first.

• Back then when there’s not much work available, I joined Reviewstream in September, at which I’ve submitted as of now more than a hundred reviews, about anything I have knowledge of or use such as books, movies, websites and gadgets.

• The Word Exposed: Drawing Us Closer to God is my first post on Clumsy Fancy, my first ever blog (I’m planning to have more). I launched my blog in October 2009 after I’ve reached payout on Reviewstream, only a month after becoming a member and though $ 50 is the payout.

• I’ve also tried article marketplace, at which one can sell articles at the author’s price. In some websites the standard is too strict while others allow only few days before your article is accepted and ready for sale, as long as its unique content.

• Two months ago I’ve become a member of Bukisa.

I’ll spare you some of the details, but I wouldn’t say that I never had any rejection—the heartbreaker of every online writer, but also a great teacher if you’ll learn from the harsh or light criticism and advice. Look at the bright side: you can write better article next time around.
                          
I consider my one-year journey as a passage to the threshold of online writing, though I don’t know where does my creations can take me to; but as far as I’m concern, I’m getting the hang of it—including the good and the bad part.

The Elusive Free Blogger Template

Writing blog posts for 3 months has led me to a conclusion: I need to change Creative Blog, a free blogger template I downloaded at Deluxe Templates. My quest for a change has caused a month-long headache (can’t count how many times I grabbed and massaged my head because of disappointment and exhaustion). Finally it’s all over, but all the lessons I’ve learned are here to stay.

The Pencil Sent from Above

Indeed, life is full of surprises; and if wasn’t for Google Webmaster Tool my post, “Black Pencil for Filipino Students” that was featured on the news of Black Pencil Project, I wouldn’t be reminded of this phrase.