How to set up a simple professional portfolio site/blog in about four hours

For her Christmas present this year my mum, Jan Lewandowski, asked me if I'd help her put together a site for her thriving consultancy business. She's a "primary modern languages" consultant, which means she trains teachers around the UK how to teach children a modern language - French being her focus (it would be after thirty years as a French teacher, I guess!). I thought I'd just write up the process to show how easy it is to set up a professional looking site with next to no budget. If you're thinking of getting blogging this year (New Year's resolution?) then hopefully this will give you a step-by-step method of doing it.