Artwork and Beauty Secrets...

KARA: "I love your art work! Share some of your portraits with us – which is your favorite? Tell us what projects you are currently working on. What is your advice for women who want to expand their creativity and maybe try something new?"

SERENE: "Well thank you! And I don't know if I have one particular favorite, but I'll show you a few of my favorites!






Well, as I mentioned before, I do monthly primary posters for Latter-day Village, and I'm looking for some new photos for next year if anyone has any they want to submit.

I'm also experimenting with adding Christ into some drawings in case people want it done in their portraits, we'll see how it goes.

As for any advise, I would say to look up your local city arts council or community centers. They usually offer beginning art classes and are loads of fun! More importantly, never say never! You never know if you'll be good at something, or love doing something till you try! So go try!"



KARA: "What are your beauty secrets? What keeps you healthy and happy?"



SERENE: "Beauty secrets? Oh dear, well... for me a hot shower everyday is a necessity, it totally makes my day. I never skip out on one, ever. I also put make-up on everyday, though usually it's just the very basics. It just helps me feel more on top of things and more secure in case someone unexpected stops by.

Even with four little kids it makes a world of difference if I exercise. I don't have a lot of time so short, intense intervals training is the key for me. Though I'll settle for a walk around the block with the kids.

Aside from the chocolate, my diet closely resembles the Eat 4 Your Blood Type plan. I would highly recommend you google it. When I stray, I notice a severe decrease in energy level. Not good with so many toddlers running around.

And most importantly, cute shoes. Take it from one who never owned any until about two years ago, shoes really do make a girl happy. :D


Thanks to Serene for a great interview. I hope you've enjoyed this week - I sure did! I love finding new bloggy friends, and I'll try to share one with you every once in a while. This interview will be up in it's entirety all day Saturday and Sunday. Then, we'll be under construction as I prepare to bring you another Incredible Woman next week. Have a GREAT weekend!

Incredible Woman #48 - Serene Heiner. Favorite Word and Handmade Books...

KARA: "What is your favorite word? Why?"

SERENE: "Splendiferous. Because it makes me happy. I also like making up words. I think swearing is highly overrated. It's so much more fun to say something like: stinkin' blinkin'."


KARA: "Tell us about making books. I’ve always loved handmade books – what is the process you go through?"

SERENE: Well, someone recommended the class to me at BYU. Once I took it I just fell in love. I love working with my hands and I even had the opportunity to teach Bookbinding at BYU for two semesters before we moved. It's fun because you get to decide everything about it!


All the materials I use for the covers and the paper inside are very large so I cut everything down to the size I want. I can make the book covers out of paper or fabric, sometimes both, and there are different ways to hand sew it up depending on the style I want.


It's pretty time consuming. Not only work wise but also because things need to dry thoroughly before you can move on.



That's just fascinating. I love to see a talent like that. I wish I could learn to do something like that, don't you?! Tomorrow is our last day with Serene. We'll talk about her artwork and her beauty secrets. Don't miss it!

Incredible Woman #48 - Serene Heiner. Love Story and Talents...

KARA: "Tell us your love story – where did you meet? How long was your courtship? What do you like to do together? What are your goals as a couple?"

SERENE: "Well, we met at BYU, of course. But in all honesty, I could not tell you the first time we met. I know, bad huh. I have to take my husband's word for it. He told me that for him, it was kind of like love at first sight. He said he saw me walking by and felt his heart flip. From then on, he was determined to get to know me.

But at the time, he thought I was dating someone, which I wasn't, and he was fresh off the mission and scared of the female race, so he never bothered to pursue me. It wasn't until almost a year later when we were both seriously dating other people, that he saw me with my boyfriend. I guess my husband had had a class with him and didn't think much of him. Apparently, that gave him the courage to pursue!

That fall, I was dumped, then Luke broke up with his girlfriend and soon we were spending lots of time together, becoming good friends. Winter semester, so January 2003, we started dating, May we got engage, and June we were married.

We are pretty low key. We enjoy watching movies together, working out in the garden and on the house together. We have goals to someday have a house that sits on several acres, have a killer food storage, go on a couples mission, and eventually travel the world together.



KARA: As I looked through your portfolio on your blog, I realized what an incredibly talented person you are! Where do you get inspiration for the things you create? Who do you share your creations with?"

SERENE: "Well, as a kid I was always drawing, coloring, painting, or crafting something. I would spend hours scouring through books and images, collecting pictures I liked and would try to re-draw them, or follow the instructions for some craft.

I still do the same thing for research and I am still hunting down tutorials for crafts that require little sewing. I don't sew. Like, at all.

Then, I had an art teacher who instilled in me a love for drawing portraits and capturing facial expressions. I started drawing pictures of my own children for fun. Now, I draw monthly primary portraits for an on-line company called, Latter-Day Village. I have had the opportunity to draw some magnificent images and drawing children is my favorite subject to work on.

I also do freelance work. Anyone can send me a photo or two, and I'll draw it up!

If you want to contact Serene for artwork, comment on this post and we'll forward your information to her. Or, go to Serene's Portfolio Blog (HERE) and contact her that way.

Tomorrow's questions include Serene's favorite word, and making books by hand. Can't wait!

Incredible Woman #48 - Serene Heiner. Blogging and Trials...

KARA: "When did you start blogging? Tell us about your blog – what kinds of things do you write about? What is your favorite post of all time. Do you get many comments from readers? What do you like about blogging?"

SERENE: "I've been blogging for over two years now. I had originally started it when we were starving students a BYU, hoping to build a home business and make a little money on the side to help out. Then someone suggested I throw in some personal stuff. Pretty soon I was solely blogging about the craziness and messes that come with having little toddlers and babies, sometimes my feelings, sometimes just random posts about my opinions, desires, goals, etc. I'm afraid I can't boast of it being anything particularly special, I'm amazed people actually read it!

Favorite post of all time? Oh dear, out of 600 posts it would be hard to choose just one.

Not too long ago I wrote about a very average day in a very unique way, trying to preserve the memory of it. It's called,"Just another Day". And once, after a particularly bad week, I wrote a post called, "Did you ever get the feeling?" They still make me smile.

I average about 20 - 25 or so comments per post. Sometimes less, sometimes more. And like any blogger, I love comments. Though I confess with so many little ones at home, sometimes it's hard for me to keep up with everyone else's blogs, responding to comments, etc. I hope they forgive me!

I've really come to love blogging because first, it offered an outlet for me and a way to express, in humorous ways, the hard times we go through with our kids. I also discovered a love for writing and have made many wonderful friends."



KARA: "Talk about some of the trials you’ve had throughout your life – what helped you get through those trials? What kinds of lessons did you learn from your trials?"

SERENE: "Well, one that jumps right to mind would be when my baby girl Alayna had to have cranial reconstructive surgery last year at Primary Childrens.

She was born with a slightly funny head shape and by six months, it was only getting worse. So they did a CT scan and discovered she had something called "Sagittal Craniosynostosis".

In a nut shell, that means her top two head plates where fused together as one solid bone. So as her little brain was growing, it was pushing in the direction that would give, meaning forward and back. That explains the elongated head. But as her brain kept growing it would have eventually put pressure on the brain, causing lots of health problems and even possible brain damage.

The surgery was five hours. They cut her scalp in a big zig zag from ear to ear, removed all the head plates from her head, reconstructed them correctly, and put them back together with dis-solvable plates and screws.


It was pretty scary for us and really hard to see her have to go through that. But I had total faith in the Priesthood blessing she received from my husband where she was promised that she would be okay.



Not to mention Primary Childrens is a very humbling place. As scary as our situation was, it was cake compared to what others were going through. It helped us maintain perspective.

In the end, she did better than anyone could have expected. You are welcome to read the full story HERE.


One of the things Serene said in that last answer made me remember the time when our youngest son, Matthew, had to have plastic surgery on his eyelid at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. Serene said "It was cake compared to what others were going through". I agree. I remember being in the waiting room with Matthew before the surgery and playing with the little children who clearly had much more severe problems than Matthew. I remember feeling so grateful that Matthew's problem was small. Some trials really do help you to maintain perspective. Join us tomorrow, when we'll talk about Serene's love story and her artistic talents!

Incredible Woman #48 - Serene Heiner. Self and Family...

Our Incredible Woman for this week is Serene Heiner, a fun blogger that I found this last month. I know you'll love her. If it's been a while since you've been here, a reminder about the blog: each day of this week, I'll post 2 questions/answers from my interview with Serene. So, don't forget to stop by for a few minutes each day.

KARA: "Describe yourself. What makes you an Incredible Woman?"

SERENE: "Well um, let's see. I'm a 27-year old mother of four. I grew up in Florida and never learned how to surf or ski unfortunately. Never really cared for swim suits, you know?

I adore reading. So much in fact that whenever I get to reading a good book, the kids end up on their own and before the book is over, my house looks like it threw up on itself. I also love used bookstores and finding old treasures for my book collection.

I love to draw, it has always been a passion of mine and I have a degree in Visual Arts from BYU, where I also learned and taught Bookbinding.

I have a pretty severe chocolate addiction. I'm surprised I haven't been brought before a disciplinary counsel for it yet. And aside from clam chowder, I detest seafood.

I think I'm pretty incredible because I wear flip flops in the winter. Anyone who can wear flip flops in the snow must be incredible."


KARA: "Tell us about your family. What is one important thing you’ve learned from each member of your family?"

SERENE: "My husband Luke and I have been married for seven years now. If anything, he has taught me how to communicate my feelings. Gosh, sounds like such a girly thing to say, doesn't it? But the truth is, I was terrified of expressing how I felt, which is vital in any relationship.

No, really I was. Once, after a boyfriend of mine had "unofficially" proposed, then dumped me, I sat by him for two hours and couldn't gather up the courage to ask him why. Bad, huh. So, Luke helped me get over that, which has done wonders for our marriage.

My children are Savannah, who just turned six. Joseph, age four, Jacob, age three, and Alayna who is a year and a half. Having children has taught me to rely on Heavenly Father, sometimes just to get through the day. I have discovered both strengths and weaknesses that I never knew I had. And right now, I'm learning how to develop a whole lot of patience. :D



Join us tomorrow, as Serene and I talk about her blog and some of the trials she's been through.