Sample 7: Caps by Christine

I spent the better part of the weekend crocheting hats.  So cute!  (The hat, not me...)  The pattern came from this blog: http://vallieskids.blogspot.com/2009/06/olivias-butterfly.html - fun, quick, easy crochet patterns.  Such a great weekend!!  (Ah, the bliss of having a Monday off from school!)

Holly, Joee and I are working on crafty items to sell at the Midvale Days craft fair in August.  I've been wondering about price points.  I've looked at similar items on Etsy to get some ideas, and Googled some as well.  I definitely don't want to overprice, but it's a fine line between that and underpricing.

So let me know - what would you pay for your very own, handmade, crocheted cap?

Sample 7: Custom (Cup) Cakes

My goal for promoting good will toward all at work this year is to remember everyone's birthday by baking them something special - and then share it with our team.

Karen - Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.  They were okay.  I think I need different lemon flavoring next time.  But definitely edible.  Not much to look at though, so no pic.

Ryan - RIP Cupcakes.  Ryan turned the big 3-0 this year and needed cupcakes to match.  We honored him by wearing black.  Can't wait to see what (if, more like it) is planned for me next year when I celebrate the 8th anniversary of my 22nd birthday.

Jami - Mini Cheesecakes.  One of Mom's great school recipes.  Yum.

Sample 6: Photo Shopping Skills

Photo Shop Elements. I took a class from UEN over spring break. I've used Photo Shop before, but never really understood how it all worked together, with all the layers and effects and such. So it was great to have actually have someone teach me how to use it! Here are my products after two days:

My motivational poster.

Tippy and her nose job - no more crooked nose for her!

Holly and Tippy at the Bellagio. Tippy did want to go - so now she's in the pictures!

Some cool effects at the Bellagio fountain.

Sample 5: Hair Growing Skills

I grew out my hair a few summers for the Hill Cumorah Pageant. I figured that I'd rather deal with my own ball of fuzz, rather than with having a wig or an elaborate head wrap. The first summer, I chopped it off as soon as school started up again, and then started the growing process again. The second summer, I kept it long until November, and then decided that it was, indeed, time to part with it. I went to my trusty hair dresser, put it in a pony tail, and whacked it off. 11.5 inches went to Locks of Love! I haven't had the patience or desire to grow it out again... though I have applied to the pageant for next summer, so I suppose that I'd better get a move on. Good thing it grows back!


Looking at this pic, I can't believe it was ever that long! How did I deal with it? What did I do with it every day? Oh yeah... ponytails, buns, and braids! 'Do' my hair? I don't think so...

Sampe 4: Macro Camera Setting

So... that little flower icon on your digital camera? I found out not long ago what it was for. Now I'm a macro-setting freak. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... here are some instances when it did work.


U of U campus, fall 2008




Bellagio's garden, Las Vegas, spring 2009



Sacred Grove, Palmyra NY, summer 2009

Sample 3: Dance Hair

For 3 years worth of high school dances (which was a lot of dances!), I was in charge of Holly's hair. She has kind of difficult hair to work with... curly and unpredictable, and often, short. But we made it work!

Here's a bun that was fashioned to go with my favorite Chinese-style dress. She went with this 'do to Jr. Prom.
This is ringlet 'do went to Senior Ball. Just her (our?) luck, it rained that night! But most of the curls stayed in tact.
So. Skilled (somewhat, anyway) at making difficult hair do what it's supposed to do (kind of)!

Sample 2: Wall Climbing Skills

Also in China and also with Joee...
Our day at the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China was actually 45 minutes!
And so we climbed the Great (Freaking!) Wall of China in 45 freaking minutes!
Joee kept me motivated. She'd been there the year before, and so knew the ups and downs of the wall and the crazy steps. She also kept me going to all 7 towers - those first few are quite the killers, and if you can get to them and past them, the last towers aren't so bad! She also told me the tale of the Great Wall, and kept my mind off how hot it was and how sticky and sweaty I was! We made it! I was a little disappointed, though, that there weren't any little China men at the top selling bottles of water for 100 yuan (about $12 when we were there - a regularly priced bottle of water would have sold for 5-10 yuan...).

Sample 1: Chop Sticking Skills!

When Joee and I were in China teaching, Mrs. Gong was our cook. She cooked us this great looking fish... but we didn't know how to eat it (all of it!) with only our chopsticks to de-bone!

So Mrs. Gong gave us some pointers... Actually, she demonstrated, then pointed at us, and took our sticks back when we (actually, only me) didn't get it. I finally did though, and...

It was so good! Some of the best fish I've ever had! And what a great skill to have - de-boning a fish with chopsticks!

Domestic Portfolio! First Post!

Welcome to a sampling of my Domestic Portfolio!
Last year, my friend and coworker, Liz, would bring yummy leftovers for lunch. She'd always joked that she took a picture to put into her Domestic Portfolio, which she was going to show to potential husbands and their mothers. I thought this was a great idea... and hence, this blog! (This must have worked for Liz - she got married last fall!)
So - enjoy some projects of mine! (and let me know if you have any potential husbands (or their mothers) to line me up with, ha ha!)

Domestic Portfolio

My friend and co-worker, Liz, often joked about her "domestic portfolio" - documentation of her attempts and successes at being domestic. What a great thing to show a suitor and his family! She is a great cook - her leftovers that became lunches looked and smelled yummy - so her hypothetical portfolio was focused there. I don't quite have that kind of domestic skill... I can cook, but it's not very creative, and while edible, there is much room for improvement.

This fall, my mom has been enjoying her new knee, and has been excited to work on her 'retirement projects'. She's set her mind on not ever retiring, and so needs to have good reasons to finish school work at school, and come home in time to enjoy life away from school. If my mom's not ever going to retire, I certainly won't ever retire (at least my parents will get some social security... I'll never see social security, and am gambling away my own funds in the crazy stock market!), and so am working on developing my own retirement projects - perfect projects for a domestic portfolio!

My domestic portfolio will be right here - just a mouse click away to show to potential in-laws and their sons! What a great thing to show parents that I have the skills to take care of their son and grandchildren! (and grandpuppies and grandkitties too)

Watch for entries in my portfolio soon!