Kristin Cavallari is hot.

We've always known that.

But don't think the Laguna Beach beauty is getting by on looks alone. Well, she kind of is. These Kristin Cavallari pics prove as much. But she's using brains to exploit the money-making power of said looks. God bless America!

Cavallari has come up with a new way to make some money. Like Paris Hilton, she's charging club owners for personal appearances that might produce publicity for their venues in celebrity gossip magazines and sites.

Kristin Cavallari was clever enough to spark a bidding war between Tao Las Vegas and Pure Las Vegas for the rights to hold her 21st birthday event - and reports say bids are already up to $100,000.

What's more, Cavallari has also mastered another cash-generating method originated by Jessica Simpson and her father, Crazy Joe Simpson.

Kristin has a friend who fronts as a "personal photographer" and always gets the "big photos" of her making out with boyfriend Nick Zano.

She then sells the images to the tabloids, who give her a percentage. The practice "infuriates event organizers who pay her to attend their events because they only get C-rate photos for their use," a spy said.

Cavallari's rep said:

"We have some nice offers from different venues to hold Kristin's birthday party, and she has not yet chosen one... In this time of stalkerazzi who invade her privacy, Kristin Cavallari, like many other celebrities, has found a way to try to counter and control these uncomfortable situations and work with photographers they know and trust."

Lauren Conrad had no comment.