Filed under: EVENTS!, Theo
Well, it’s about that time….Spring is finally here and the new Theo collection is on its way to Eye Spy!
Come and check out all of the new colors and styles on Saturday, April 18th from 11-5pm!
We can’t wait! We will have sangrias and snacks to assist you with decision-making…no hanger in here!!!!
In celebration of Earth Day, if you ride your bike to Eye Spy, we will be giving 10% off Rx lenses with the purchase of a frame from Eye Spy:-) In addition, we are working with Roscoe Village Bikes to properly fit your helmut from 11-12pm *and* West Town Bikes to give your bike a check-up for spring! Finally, if you recycle a pair of glasses with us that you purchased online, you will get $50 off Rx lenses
One discount offer per customer, puhleeze.
Whoops, we almost forgot the best part of all!? We will have a Girl Scout Troop from Oscar Mayer Elementary School here selling Girls Scout COOKIES!!!! It might be your last chance of the season to scoop up some cookies! So…. come check out the new dreamy Theo’s and satisfy your sweet tooth!
See you Saturday, April 18th from 11-5pm!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein, Spectacular Sunglasses
This week is a little bit special because our Customer of The Week is someone who has been working for Eye Spy for 10 years! Say Hello to Karla!
Karla is always dressed for fun and when she saw the Francis Klein Royal sunnies, she had to catch her breath. And can you blame her? They must have been designed with Karla in mind! Karla will look great at all of her three (yes I said three!) jobs – a shoe store, a jewelry store and for us!
To say Karla is a bit of a fashionista is an understatement. She is a pro at mixing patterns, textures and colors… so what could be better than sunglasses with a dash of fun, a spinkle of sass and a heap of glitter!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein, Rigards
Yep, it is Customer of The Week time again. Wiggle your spirit fingers in the air for….Heather!
Heather’s first visit to our store was a couple of January’s ago. She drove all the way from Indianapolis, Indiana so she could look at our sale frames and was blown away by the amazing selection of fun and funky frames. From that moment on, she was a customer for life!
She has made the pilgrimage to our shop a several times since (bringing friends!) and has collected a wardrobe of truly spectacular eyewear.
On her most recent trip, she picked up a couple of gorgeous frames.
Francis Klein Opera was part of our January sale, and called out to Heather the moment she opened the door. Sparkly crystals and silver studs are pretty hard to say no to, especially when paired with a flirty cat-eye shape.
When she came in to pick up her Francis Klein, she fell in lust with a pair of striking Rigards buffalo horn sunglasses. But she decided she wanted to be able to wear them all day every day, and had us put clear lenses in them. We couldn’t love them more! We love it when customers customize a frame – with a special color, or a special lens – and make the frame truly their own.
We know, you are feeling a little jealous..but don’t worry, there are still plenty of cool specs left for you to take home!
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Filed under: Niloca, Shop Local. Shop Lincoln
In order to highlight our fellow independent small business owners on our stretch of Lincoln Ave., we asked our photographer, Dave Rentauskus, to take portraits of our comrades in our spectacular specs….along with a few shots of their shops.
Johnny Begale, Sausage Kitchen Manager
Johnny is wearing a spicy Jawd frame by the Australian eyewear designer, Niloca, who are known for unexpected shapes and unique use of color in their handmade frames.
Paulina Meat Market is one of those great family business that are hard to find these days. In 1984, just as the current location was opening it’s doors, Johnny’s dad Bill, applied and started his career, learning to “break down cattle and serve carnivourous Chicagoans.” He and his wife, Laurie had the opportunity to buy the business from the original owners in 2006, and have made the market their own, exapnding their selection of fresh meats and sausages and compimentary products to appeal to the needs of their customers while still keeping the original roots of their German-American Meat Market intact.
Johnny has a degree in accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University and worked for 2 years at McGladrey, but found himself wondering if that was the right fit. He began working for the family business in 2011 with the Sausage Kitchen team. “I have an awesome family and was fortunate enough to have a place to go when I needed to take a step back and figure things out.” Johnny has also put his accounting and business knowledge to good use, helping to make Paulina Meat Market the World Class Meat Market it is today.
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Fun Facts about Johnny:
How long have you been in business? Paulina Market has been in business since 1949 (65 years)
Who was your teenage celebrity crush? I was 19 when Annapolis came out (just on the edge of teenage years), and James Franco is a stud in that movie so would have to go with him!
If you could be any animal, what would it be? I would have to be a bird, a Bald Eagle to be specific I guess. I don’t know much about Bald Eagles, but I love to travel and I love my country so that would be a sweet animal to be!
Are you right or left handed? Righty
What color are your eyes? Brown
Where did you grow up? Niles, IL
What ‘hood do you live in? Roscoe Village
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Johnny and his family want Paulina Market always strives to understand its customers and their meat-eating needs and pushes itself to be the best market in town!
Paulina Meat Market * 3501 N. Lincoln Avenue (corner of Lincoln & Cornelia) Chicago, IL 60657 * 773.248.6272
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, RES/REI, Theo
Introducing our Customers Of The Week…Ellen and Denny!
Ellen and Denny love unique handmade eyewear so much that they braved the midwest winter weather and travelled all the way from Kalamzoo, MI not once but twice to get their hands on their new specs!
Denny picked up a handsome pair of ResRei Ottone Frames.
They are comfortable and the two-tone color make them an easy pair of specs to wear everyday.
Ellen was a little more adventerous with her choice…
and went home with a bright red pair of Theo Tijl frames. They are a bold statement that look fantastic on Ellen, but she didn’t stop there…
Ellen added a bright yellow custom sun-clip by our favorite sun-clip designer, CustomEyes. The yellow looks so great with the red frame, that everyone here at EyeSpyOptical are dreaming about getting sun-clips for our wn frames!
I hope Ellen and Denny are ready for people to stop them on the street, because they looks amazing in their new specs!
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Filed under: FASHION!, NEWS!
Bold color…Check! Beautiful wearable shapes…Check! Unique design details…Check! Fantastic textures…Check! Piero Massaro frames have it all!
It is no surprise that the Queen of Specs fell hard for Italian eyewear designer’s newest offerings and had to pick them up for the store!
Massaro is an artist, playing with color, pattern and shape to create beautiful handmade eyewear. He finds his inspiration in the world around him. Simple geometric shapes are puzzled together to create bold shapes. Striped acetates evoke schools of fish swimming in the Mediterranean. Colors are inspired by the foods around him…fragrant oranges, toasted almonds, and pistachio nuts.
Massaro is the recipient of the prestegious Special Award of the international jury of the Silmo d’Or in Paris in 2014, celebrating creativity and innovation.
Each frame is carefully made by hand in Italy by skilled craftspeople. Frames are limited to 100 pcs per color and shape and each frame is numbered.
Stop by the shop and try them on. You will totally understand why we are so enamored with them!
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Filed under: Caroline Abram, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Theo
Welcome Michele to the Customer Of The Week Club!!!
Michele walked into Eye Spy and knew what she wanted. Two new frames – one black, one white or clear. Michelle is the kind of woman who knows what she wants…and she got it with the help of our very own Specs Wrangler, Patsy.
The first pair Patsy pulled out was a gorgeous pair of matte black Theo Mille+4 frames. Not only were they a perfect fit, but they matched Michele’s laid-back-rocker-with-a-bit-of-an-edge look. Mille+4’s rounded edges and soft matte-black texture make this anything but your average black frame.
The second frame, Gigi by Caroline Abram, is a little dressier with its pretty gold metal details. The modern angles really accentuate Michele’s cheek bones and the larger lenses show off her eyes. Michele can wear these for a night out on the town, or with jeans and a t-shirt for a more casual look.
We love what Michele decided to get and can’t to see what she chooses next time!
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Filed under: Shop Local. Shop Lincoln, Theo
In order to highlight our fellow independent small business owners on our stretch of Lincoln Ave., we asked our photographer, Dave Rentauskus, to take portraits of our comrades in our spectacular specs….along with a few shots of their shops.
Katherine McHenry, owner of Building Blocks
Katherine is wearing a pair of playful and flirty fluorescent red Theo Mille +26 frames. After modelling these frames for us, she decided that she loved them…and purchased them!!
Katherine, a self proclaimed “educator-wannabe, play ambassador and retail aficionado” opened her store in 1996. This wasn’t her first business though, she got her start at 9 selling candy out of her apartment in Queens, NY. She dabbled in retail for a while and worked in accounting, but it wasn’t until she opened Building Blocks that she really found her passion. “Serving families with educational, developmental and play-based products” is what really floats Katherine’s boat.
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Fun Facts About Katherine:
How long have you been in business? 18 years
Who was your teenage celebrity crush? Rob Lowe
If you could be any animal, what would it be? A bird
Are you Right or Left handed?: Right handed
What color are your eyes? Brown
Where did you grow up? Queens, NY
What hood do you live in? West Edgewater
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Katherine is a busy woman. She not only has two stores, she opened the Wicker Park location in 2008, but she also is a mom. Tai and Linh keep her on her toes and get to test drive all the best toys!
Make sure you stop in the next time you need a toy for a little person in your life. Katherine will be happy to help you.
Building Blocks * 3306 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Il 60657 * 773-525-6200
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!
It is no secret that we have the most fantastic, talented, and fun customers around, here at Eye Spy Optical! Our current Customer Of The Week is no exception….Say hi to Jamie Barton!!!
Jamie is rocking her custom Francis Klein Wing frame.
Jamie is an international award-winning opera singer, a grammy nominee, and an all-around amazing woman! She travels around singing her heart out and performing in all the best cities. She recently played Henry VIII’s Jane Seymore in ANNA BOLENA with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Jamie and Sara, our Design Maven, became quick friends because of their mutual love for Francis Klein’s sparkly frames. Jamie had a hard choice to make, and ended up deciding she couldn’t live without her two favorites, Wing and Party.
Jamie’s Francis Klein Wing in a custom color and decor.
Jamie really liked the Wing frame, but didn’t see quite the right color and decor combo, so Sara helped her customize her frame and special ordered a frame just for her. It took a few weeks, but Jamie thinks it was definitely worth the wait!
This Special Edition Wing was whispering Jamie’s name!
The Special Edition Wing frame really is like wearing jewelry on your face, and they fit Jamie like they were made just for her. And Rhinestones! She couldn’t resist.
You can follow Jamie’s travels and find out where she will be performing next at her website: http://www.jamiebartonmezzo.com/ or on her facebook page.
We can’t wait for her to perform in Chicago again so we can go see her!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!
Three Cheers for Dana…Our Customer of the Week!
Dana is styling in her Anne et Valentin D-Gree frames!
Dana is a long time customer and a whole lot of fun! Dana is an actress and a fitness & dance instructor and she loves to wear fun and funky frames when she isn’t sporting her contacts.
She picked out her first pair of funky specs from Eye Spy Optical in 2001!!! You don’t believe us? Well, take a peek at the evidence from our photo album below!
When Dana came in for frames this time, she told the Optical Oracle that she wanted something a bit more serious and grown up. The Oracle had the perfect frame in mind, Anne et Valentin D-Gree in a beautiful soft tortoise and purple combo.
D-gree has just the right blend of sophistication and sass!
D-gree’s angles and colors really complement Dana’s amazing smile and are still fun and funky. No boring frames for her!
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