Eye Spy with My Little Eye

Monday, March 8, 2010

They DO make them like they used to!





Lafont has been decorating the faces of myopes, hyperopes, and presbyopes for over 80 years! Lafont eyewear has a beautiful and timeless style and to celebrate that fact, they've brought back several of their classic designs as part of the Lafont reedition line.

I just couldn't contain my joy at the constant arrival of more and more Lafont reedition frames at Eye Spy. I was so enamored, I had to write a poem, I hope Elizabeth Barret Browning doesn't mind:

Oh, Lafont Reedition, how do I love thee, let me count the ways
I love thee to the keyhole bridge and generous lens height

My soul can see, I never feel without sight

For the eyes you provide such grace

I love thee 'cuz you balance out my big, round face

I need you morning, noon, and night


I love thee freely, I know you're all right

I love thee purely, your sunglasses protect from uv rays


I love thee for your style and practical use

You give me no grief, you're the bee's knees

Oh boy, Lafont reedition frame I hope I don't lose

My nifty cat-eye glasses, we go together like wine and cheese


You handmade objects of well-crafted design, it's you I choose.
Lafont reedition frames, I'll take one in each color, please









Eye Spy is having a makeover party and sunglass show!
Stop by the store on Saturday, March 20 and get a new look just in time for Spring!
Get a free makeover!
Delight in the Tres Chic collection from ic!berlin
Check out the newest sunglasses from Kaenon and Ray-Ban!\


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Sunday, February 14, 2010

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

I am often asked, "How do you choose the Customer of the Week?"

The answer is a complicated formula that looks kind of like this:


But without the 1.


This week, our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK is Marny Christin!!!

Marny loved the shape of this Theo frame, but wasn't sure about the colors that we had in the store. No problem, we were able to go online and access the Theo frame catalogue where we could show Marny the many (many many) colors available for this frame. We chose two colors and ordered the frames in so Marny could try them on before making a final decision on her awesome new specs!

It's like Goldilocks, but with eyeglasses. Because this frame is JUST RIGHT :)


Congratulations, Marny! You're our Customer of the Week!



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Monday, February 8, 2010

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Our Customer of the Week this week is LINUS LEE!

Linus has been a *great* customer at Eye Spy for several years now; he has great taste and we loved helping him choose a new look! Linus found this SUPER COOL Anne et Valentin frame. It's so modern and cool, it's a great contrast to the retro Lafont frame that he used to wear!

Top That! Top That! Now why would you ever wanna go and try to top that?!

Congratulations, Linus! You're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!



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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

It was so hard to choose this week's CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, but as we were going through pictures, the choice became clear... CINDI SIMPSON looks so fabulous in her new Francis Klein frames that we knew we had to give her the star treatment on this blog!

Fly me to the moon / Let me play among the Francis Klein rhinestones /
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars / In other words...SPARKLE!!!


She really takes flight in this Francis Klein Tatia frame, which was a brand new addition to the store! We're so glad Cindi came in to Eye Spy just in time to snag these sparkly spectacles, just days after their arrival on our wall. Now Cindi can fly all over the world in jet-setter Francis Klein style!

Congratulations, Cindi!


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Saturday, January 16, 2010

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Ahh, so many weeks we've chosen one or more lovely customers to spotlight here.... we've just been reminiscing and we've decided that, this week, we're going to say THANK YOU to all of our previous choices for CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

These lovely faces show how great it is to take a chance on a RED frame or a BLUE frame! They represent the whimsical side of Anne et Valentin frames, the fantastic structure of ic! berlin frames, and the intriguing angles of Theo frames. These faces are what make Francis Klein glasses sparkle, they are what make Frost frames come alive and they show why Lafont is a good and reliable friend when it comes to quality eyewear. These customers have helped us welcome Grotesque and Claire Goldsmith to Eye Spy, they've modeled our eyewear in advertisements on postcards, in magazines, and even on El platforms!

Everybody wants to be a cool kid, cool kid.

We love our customers, each and every one, but right now, here's to the Eye Spy friends who have found themselves in our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK spotlight! Cheers!





Yes we did! It's time for Eye Spy's January Sale!!!! Whoo!!!

We have frames at 25% off, 50% off, and 75% off the original price! AND, we have a ton of Anne et Valentin frames and IC! Berlin frames that we received especially for the sale at 40% to 50% off their original prices...unbelievable.

We do this because we love you so much.





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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

They call me "fly" because I dance on the walls

I've been meaning to share this for a while, months actually! Over the summer, Alissa and Mary H went to a lecture by Kazuo Kawasaki, the man behind Kawasaki frames.

Kazuo Kawasaki is one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure to meet. His ideas and inventions are innovative and beautiful and reach far beyond eyewear. He has designed an artificial heart, a wheelchair, and way to efficiently distribute immunization vaccines. He does all of this with one eye on the functionality of the product and one eye on the aesthetics. It was a fascinating lecture and I'm still thinking about it all these months later.


At Eye Spy, we love Kawasaki frames because they are lightweight, durable and customizable. You can pick your shape, size and color of the frame...and lenses. Kawasaki-san also revealed the concept of the hinge...a re-bent paperclip! Very cool, and very simple. It works quite well.

We also wanted to post this picture of Alissa, Mary H, and Kazuo Kawasaki. Go ahead, get jealous...

1, 2, 3, AWESOME!






Yes we did! It's time for Eye Spy's January Sale!!!! Whoo!!!

We have frames at 25% off, 50% off, and 75% off the original price! AND, we have a ton of Anne et Valentin frames and IC! Berlin frames that we received especially for the sale at 40% to 50% off their original prices...unbelievable.

We do this because we love you so much.

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Hooray! Our Customer of the Week this week is BILLY WOODSON! Whoo!

This is Billy's first pair of glasses and, wow, do they look cool! The best part about these Swissflex Kids frames is that Billy could choose the color and shape of the frame, it was like he was designing his own frame from scratch! That's why so many kids love Swissflex frames!

Those glasses look good enough to eat! Chomp! Chomp!

Congratulations, Billy, your new Swissflex frames look awesome **and** you're the Customer of the Week! Way to go!





Yes we did! It's time for Eye Spy's January Sale!!!! Whoo!!!

We have frames at 25% off, 50% off, and 75% off the original price! We also have some frames marked at $75!!!!! AND, we have a ton of Anne et Valentin frames and IC! Berlin frames that we received especially for the sale at 40% to 50% off their original prices...unbelievable.

We do this because we love you so much.




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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

NEW YEAR, NEW CUSTOMERS OF THE WEEK!

Happy New Year!

We are so over the moon about all of the awesome frames in the store right now that we are celebrating by naming TWO Customers of the Week!

First, we want to highlight CARYN WEINER! Caryn chose this beautiful Anne et Valentin frame in red and tortoise. We love the way Anne et Valentin frames are so bright and fun! Check 'em out!

This expression says, "I know. I'm awesome."

Now, check out these sparkly BLUE Francis Klein frames on Caitlin Cronin. Caitlin has been a customer of Eye Spy for a while, so when we found out she was on her way in to the store to check out new frames, we knew before she even walked in the door that this Francis Klein frame was the frame for her. We love when we are able to picture a longtime customer and the frame that would be a perfect new look. Caitlin is moving to Japan soon, good luck Caitlin! We're sure, in these sparkly blue specs, you'll be the toast of Japan!

Blue + rhinestones = win.

Wow! What an awesome way to start a new year! RED Anne et Valentins and BLUE Francis Kleins! 2010, you're looking gooood!



Yes we did! It's time for Eye Spy's January Sale!!!! Whoo!!!

We have frames at 25% off, 50% off, and 75% off the original price! We also have some frames marked at $75!!!!! AND, we're expecting a ton of Anne et Valentin frames, direct from France, any day now!!! Those frames will be 50% off their original prices!!!

We do this because we love you so much.



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Sunday, December 27, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Let's all jump for joy and congratulate DON WIENER, our Customer of the Week!!! Yaaaay!

Don came to our ic! berlin trunk show in November. After trying on some awesome frames, he decided to trust the professional opinion (and years of experience) of Serina and chose this Terrific ic! berlin frame... in BLUE!


ic! berlin, just started making frames in this color and Don was right there, ready to be one of the first to start wearing this incredible new color!

Way to go, Don! You're our Customer of the Week!





Too many flex dollars, not enough time? At Eye Spy, we accept flex dollars and will make sure that you find quality handmade glasses as well as the best possible lenses for your prescription. Just ask and we'll be happy to help you find an *awesome* new pair of specs!




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Monday, December 21, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

This week our Customer of the Week! is ANNIE RANTILLA!!!

Annie's brother is a long-time customer of Eye Spy and he sent his sister to us for some brand new specs. Annie walked in the door and said "I want awesome new glasses." She had us at "awesome."

Immediately, we knew the perfect frame for her. After trying on a few super-fun frames, including a purple Anne et Valentin frame that came in a close second, Annie's heart returned to these Claire Goldsmith frames--it was fate!

This is the first frame she tried on, and boy, does she look great! We've got to pat ourselves on the back for this one, sometimes a person walks in the store and we get all Matchmaker Matchmaker and we just know that one frame in the store that belongs with a particular person. It's like Cupid's arrows all over the place in here.

Love at first Sight!

We just love how these Claire Goldsmith frames are so big and fun, but the first thing you see in this photo are Annie's bright blue eyes and welcome smile!

Congratulations, Annie! You're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!





Too many flex dollars, not enough time? At Eye Spy, we accept flex dollars and will make sure that you find quality handmade glasses as well as the best possible lenses for your prescription. Just ask and we'll be happy to help you find an *awesome* new pair of specs!




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Saturday, December 12, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Congratulations to PAUL BEREN, our Customer of the Week!

Paul read about Eye Spy in the Chicago Reader, where we were named in the Best of Chicago 2009 issue! Let me tell you, it was a blast helping Paul choose some new frames. When he tried on these Theo frames, we all knew they were the ones!

It was love at first sight!

Way to go Paul, your new Theo frames look amazing and you're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!






Too many flex dollars, not enough time? At Eye Spy, we accept flex dollars and will make sure that you find quality handmade glasses as well as the best possible lenses for your prescription. Just ask and we'll be happy to help you find an *awesome* new pair of specs!

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Monday, December 7, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Congratulations to our Customer of the Week, Deborah Peltz!!!

Deborah has been a customer at Eye Spy for several years now. We always love when she stops by the store because not only is she super-nice, she also loves fun glasses! Deborah looks especially awesome in Anne et Valentin frames. Check out this purple and brown cat-eye frame!


Anne et Valentin frames are the cat's meow.

Way to go, Deborah! You're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!





Too many flex dollars, not enough time? At Eye Spy, we accept flex dollars and will make sure that you find quality handmade glasses as well as the best possible lenses for your prescription. Just ask and we'll be happy to help you find an *awesome* new pair of specs!

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Monday, November 30, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

WHOO! It's that time again! What time? Time to crown a new CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

This week, we chose DAVID THOMPSON!

David already had two frames from Eye Spy when he stopped in to check out some new styles. Lucky for him we had a gaggle of Theo Frames in the store and couldn't wait to see him in these *amazing* blue (and brown!) Theos!

Hey, waitaminute, where's the brown? Well that's the best part of this frame (okay, 2nd best, the best is how BLUE this Theo frame makes David's eyes look!). The front of the frame is this lovely slate blue, but the top is chocolate brown!

It's always nice to find frames with personality.

David also chose to wear with the Hoya ID lens, which is a progressive lens that gives the wearer a wider field of vision. So walking up stairs won't make him feel like he's inside of some carnival trick house. Now, in his new Theo frames, he'll have a smooth look, aesthetically and functionally.

Way to go David! You're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!



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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Giving Thanks

Here at Eye Spy, we have a lot to be thankful for: awesome eyeglasses that surround us all day long, a funky and colorful work environment, and Dinkel's right across the street!

But, today, what we are most thankful for are the awesome awesome customers--you are all so much fun to have around!

You make our hearts go ZING!

What we are second most thankful for are the new frames that have been arriving all week!

First, the Theo invasion:

Theo's classic metal style that we all know and looooove.

And new Theo plastics! Absence does make the heart grow fonder!
It's been a while since Theo has made plastic frames and, yow, are we happy they're back!


Then, we received the Lafont frames for our Trunk Show this weekend! The frames will only be here for the weekend, so if you want to see hundreds of Lafonts in dozens of colors, put on you hat and gloves and come over to Eye Spy! (Pssst...The Lafont trunk show will be on Saturday, November 28, from 11-5pm.)

ooooooh. ahhhhhh.


Look at all the kids frames we'll have in the store this weekend!
(This is maybe one fifth of the kids frames we'll have for the trunk show!!!)


So much to love.....


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Sunday, November 22, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

This week, we found the CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK in our own office! KARLA PARISER is our bookkeeper and a great friend. She has an amazing wardrobe of glasses including Francis Klein and Anne et Valentin, but maybe our favorite frame of all is this LAFONT frame...in leopard!!!


We heart Karla! She's one of the most stylin' ladies around!




The LAFONT Trunk Show is here! Every Saturday in November we have hosted trunk shows. We are ending the our month-long celebration of new styles with a Lafont trunk show on November 28. We will have the full collection including new styles you've never seen before...for one day only!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!

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Friday, November 20, 2009

The Francis Kleins have landed!!!

The Francis Kleins have landed just in time for our FRANCIS KLEIN/IC! BERLIN trunk show, TODAY, Saturday, November 21 from 11-5 PM!

We received 100 new Francis Klein frames! Here are a few of the new styles...

They come in peace and style.

Sunglasses?
Check!

Rhinestones?
Check!

Gorgeous?
CHECK!

We are sooo excited to have these new frames in our store just in time for the show, but we're maybe possibly, ok totally and completely super-excited to have over 70 of these frames direct from France just for the weekend, just for the show, just for Eye Spy!

Stop by this weekend and see how the store will be swallowed by Francis Klein rhinestones and ic! berlin stainless steel wonder!!!


Let Ralph tell you all about it.



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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

There's a new lady in town...

Last week, we welcomed a new gal to the shop, CLAIRE GOLDSMITH, a new eyewear line out of England! We ordered 18 new frames from the inaugural Claire Goldsmith collection and, Blimey! They sure are sassy!

Fresh!


Radical!


Party animals.



Wow, these new Claire Goldsmith frames have really brought the cool to Eye Spy!

Brilliant!




The November Trunk Shows are here! Every Saturday in November we are hosting a trunk show...including IC! Berlin (November 21), Francis Klein (November 21), and Lafont (November 28). We will have the full collections including new styles you've never seen before...for one day only!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!




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Monday, November 16, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Check it out! We have a new CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK! This week, we chose ERIC EVERSON because these chrome ic! berlin frames look so great on him!

Eric stopped in to the store a few times to make sure he chose the *perfect* frame. With some help from Mary R, he chose the Arnaud frame by ic! berlin. But Eric wasn't the only one who became an Eye Spy customer, his wife and son both got new sunglasses!

There's some truth to the saying "good things come to those who wait."



Congratulations, Eric, you're our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Hey, speaking of ic! berlin, we're having an ic! berlin trunk show this weekend! We'll have the ic! berlin collection as well as a special selection of 100+ Francis Klein frames! Oh. My. Goodness. This is going to be a great weekend!



The November Trunk Shows are here! Every Saturday in November we are hosting a trunk show...including IC! Berlin (November 21), Francis Klein (November 21), and Lafont (November 28). We will have the full collections including new styles you've never seen before...for one day only!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!

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Monday, November 9, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Woo Hoo! Our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK this week was looking for a frame that would take her look into a funky new phase! Congratulations to SANDRA FORKINS! Sandra wanted frames that would stand out in a crowd and show her personality with flare!


Perfect choice! Sandra chose this fantastic Anne et Valentin frame in red and silver. Anne et Valentin frames are known for not only being whimsical, but also well-made and strong! This pair is made with a stainless steel frame that makes these glasses light as a feather! Sandra is also wearing HOYA freeform lenses! This lenses are all kinds of WHOA, they provide a wider field of vision for distance, computer use, AND reading. Yes, I said it, three in one and they're super easy to get used to wearing. Sandra will feel like Superwoman with super-sharp vision.

Eye Spy
and Sandra Forkins, what a team!



So many frames to choose from! Mark your calendar! The November Trunk Shows are just around the corner! Every Saturday in November we'll be hosting a trunk show from several of our lines including Theo (November 7), Anne et Valentin (November 14), IC! Berlin (November 21), Francis Klein (November 21), and Lafont (November 28). They're going to bring the full collections including new styles you've never seen before!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!


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Saturday, October 31, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Whoo! Our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK this week picked up one of the *most amazing frames ever!!!!*

Kristin Millikan came in to Eye Spy in search of a new look. She was so much fun and had so much energy! We found two frames that looked wonderful on her! After taking some time to think on it and getting the opinion of friends and family, Kristin chose go to with this Theo Eyewitness frame. And really, even though she had another frame in mind, I think this was love at first sight.

When Kristin walked into the store, this frame saw her and was all "woo hoo hoo, I like you."


Congratulations Kristin!

Hey, speaking of THEO, we're having a THEO trunk show this weekend! Stop by the store on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 between 11am and 5pm to check out the newest THEO styles! It's going to be SPECtacular!




So many frames to choose from! Mark your calendar! The November Trunk Shows are just around the corner! Every Saturday in November we'll be hosting a trunk show from several of our lines including Theo (November 7), Anne et Valentin (November 14), IC! Berlin (November 21), Francis Klein (November 21), and Lafont (November 28). They're going to bring the full collections including new styles you've never seen before!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!


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Sunday, October 18, 2009

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK this week will be joining the Eye Spy family real soon, well, kind of... MATTHEW SIEFFERT is engaged to the lovely Miss Alex Blunt, a longtime customer of Eye Spy!

Matthew and Alex came in to the store last winter and tried on some awesome frames. Matthew kept these LAFONT frames in the back of his mind and as the wedding day got closer and closer, he found it was time to update his look before the big day!

It's true that Alex has great taste in more than glasses!

Congratulations, Matthew, on being our CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK and on your upcoming (just around the corner) wedding!




So many frames to choose from! Mark your calendar! The November Trunk Shows are just around the corner! Every Saturday in November we'll be hosting a trunk show from several of our lines including Theo (November 7), Anne et Valentin (November 14), IC! Berlin (November 21), Francis Klein (November 21), Lafont (November 28). They're going to bring the full collections including new styles you've never seen before!!! For once, you'll be looking forward to November in Chicago!


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