30 years in Idaho

When Larry and I first moved to Idaho, I would have never believed that 30 years later I would be the proud owner of my own retail business a mere 2 miles away from our little starter home. And, yet, here I am, owner and manager of Renewed Expressions Consignment Boutique!

It’s been quite the journey to get here from there, that’s for sure. We were married in May of 1978 and moved to Idaho from Escondido, California in August of 1979. Larry was hired as a sixth grade teacher and I was hired at a small,local bank. Since that time we’ve lived in several different houses, raised and homeschooled our 3 (now married) children and experienced a few career changes –most recently, opening Renewed Expressions and Larry starting Sunset Signs and Graphics.

It has been 30 years full of ups and downs, as life tends to be, but we have been blessed to live here and experience this great community. We look forward to the next 30 and are thankful for our friends, family and customers. We wouldn't still be in business without you and we hope the experiences you have in our stores leave you feeling appreciated and valued.

Employee Spotlight

I feel truly blessed to have the most wonderful employees and I know that I can count on them to give you the best customer service so that your shopping experience is the best it can be. But there’s more to them than just the bright smiling faces that greet you when you come into Renewed Expressions, so every once in a while I’ll be sharing with a little more about them, starting with my first employee and long time friend, Monica Visser.

Monica has been with us since day one, when we opened our doors as a furniture consignment store and she was instrumental in helping us transition into clothing consignment. She is a delight to have at the store and is always willing to help our customers find that perfect outfit. Her warm smile and gentle demeanor keeps our customers asking where she is on her day off.

In addition to being great at helping our customers, it just so happens that she is one of our best customers! She always has her eye out for her favorite brands (Ann Taylor, Banana Republic & White House, Black Market) in neutral tones which highlight her lovely olive complexion.

She is married to her best friend, Brian and has two married children and two beautiful grandchildren. When not out hunting for treasures in resale shops, Monica loves to spend time gardening or hiking with friends and family. She also loves to read and cook and, as those who know her can attest, she is quite good at it, additionally, she is a fine hostess. She was happy to share a favorite recipe for Pumpkin Bread! Could it really be that fall will be arriving soon?

Pumpkin Bread: Makes 2 loaves

3 1/2 C. Unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Nutmeg
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2/3 C. Water
2 C. Canned Pumpkin
2 tsp. Baking Soda
4 Eggs
3 C. Sugar
1 C. Vegetable Oil
2 C. Chocolate Chips

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry. Mix thoroughly, and add chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured, standard size bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours. The bread is done when toothpick comes out clean. This bread freezes well.

Thanks, Monica, for being a faithful friend and wonderful employee!

Funny Fashions Friday

We love so many of the trends that are out right now but we thought on Fridays it might be fun to show you some trends we might caution you to avoid.

Even if you have the legs of a super model, these shoes will make you look stumpy.

We know that cupcakes are huge right now but please don't go out looking like one!

It's true that ultra feminine retro dresses are in, but this one has WAY too much going on.

Please avoid wearing garments with the head of anything printed on it.

And finally if it has a cutesy kitty, hearts and a ball of yarn...run far far away.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Heels = Flip Flops of the Fall

Despite the heat, we've got fall on the mind around here. We are gearing up for our big fall makeover and clothing sneek peek and that got us thinking about fall shoes. Just like summer sandals a pretty heel can add just the right bit of snazz to a fall outfit without being too over the top.

Shoes are such a great way to experiment with colors, patterns and textures. Some people wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a bold red top but how about a red peep toe with a pair of black slacks?

For many women the classic Mary Jane is a favorite. Add a fun fresh color and a heel and you have a shoe that is classic and trendy!



It's always fun to experiment with different colors and textures. Soft pale turquoise combined with faux alligator is sophisticated yet unexpected!



Here's a roundy toe/pointy toe hybrid that would be pretty during the day or night!





Of course, there's always room for the go-to neutral colors like black and brown but how about grey? Especially with a twisty detail, a pair of heels like these could become a wardrobe staple.



Next time you are shoe shopping try on some shoes that are a little outside of your comfort zone. You might be surprised at what you find out you like!

The shoes from this post can be found at Zappos.com but don't forget that Renewed Expressions consigns many high end name brand shoes every day for much much less! See you soon!