Filed under: EVENTS!, HEALTH!, Non-Profit of the Month, Theo
Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization that we admire. This month we are working with Peterson Garden Project and will be donating 3% of our sales from the Theo Trunk Show on June 4th!
In 2010, LaManda Joy started her first organic community garden in a vacant lot on Peterson Ave – a lot that in the 1940’s had been one of the many Victory Gardens that flourished throughout Chicago at the time. Since then, Peterson Garden Project has flourished and there are now community gardens all over Chicago, but what is even more important to LaManda is that her organization has taught hundreds of new gardeners how to grow nutritious food in their own neighborhoods.
Peterson Garden Project’s mission is to recruit, educate and inspire a new generation of gardeners who want to gain control of their food supply, grow their own produce organically, and make urban gardening the norm-not the exception.
“Learning together in the garden, and kitchen, does much more than put fresh, nutritious food on the table. It helps build stronger communities, connect us to cultural heritage, improve public health and create a more sustainable, resilient city.”
Peterson Garden Project isn’t just about gardening:
- Their community cooking school that offers classes and workshops about variety of ethnic cuisines and food cultures which draws upon the diverse backgrounds of the project’s membership. Check out their calendar for upcoming classes like Demystifying Masala: The Secret to Indian Spice Blends on June 2.
- Grow2Give is their volunteer-run program that provides local food pantries and other organizations with donated produce grown in the gardens.
- Senior/Senior, Kids in the Kitchen and Fresh Fridays are free programs geared at educating kids and seniors alike about nutrition and the joys of cooking.
Get Involved!
Go to a tea party! Peterson Garden Project is hosting a Mad Tea Party/fundraiser on June 12 at their Vedgewater Garden. Put on your finest or zaniest tea party attire and help keep the project going!
Get your hands dirty! There are still plots available at some of their community gardens, so sign up, attend an orientation meeting and grow some delicious organic veggies of your own.
Try on some new specs! Come to our Theo Trunk Show on June 4th and pick up a beautiful new pair of glasses – 3% our sales will be donated to Peterson Garden Project!
Peterson Garden Project continues to grow and there are plenty of ways to get involved – take a look at their Website, Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all of the latest gardening news!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, Non-Profit of the Month, Theo
How can we describe how much we love Theo??
With a few photos and by the simple fact that it is Theo that made us fall in love with eyewear. Pure fun, great design and decidedly different.
Along with the current collection of Theo in every color of the rainbow, we are honoring Theo’s Flemish heritage. Theo is designed and made in Belgium….so we are supplying fine beer and chocolates.
The beer comes by way of our neighbor, Bitter Pops, and the chocolate by way of Katherine Anne Confections in Logan Square.
As is our tradition to donate to a non-profit every month, we are supporting the Peterson Garden Project this month, with a percentage of our sales from the Theo Trunk Show:-)
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Non-Profit of the Month
Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization that we admire. May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month and we are thrilled to be working with the American Brain Tumor Association.
The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) was founded in 1973 in Chicago and has funded almost $30 million in brain tumor research. They are committed to helping people of all age ranges and with all types of brain tumors through funding research, publishing educational materials and providing training to health care professionals. The ABTA is committed to “the goals of improving, extending and, ultimately, saving the lives of those impacted by a brain tumor diagnosis.”
About Brain Tumors
• There are nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. living with a primary brain and central nervous system tumor.
• Nearly 78,000 new cases of primary brain tumors will be diagnosed this year.
• Approximately 4,600 children ages 0 – 19 will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor this year.
• Malignant brain tumors are the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 and the most common cancer occurring among 15-19 year olds.
How can you help?
Come to our week long Anne et Valentin Pop-up Shop starting on May 14th from 12-5pm at Eye Spy Optical and find a gorgeous new pair of eyeglasses (or two!) – we will be donating a percentage of our sales from the pop-up shop! You can also take a look at their website and and like their facebook page to keep up with their latest news, for resources for you and your loved ones who have brain tumors, and to find out how you can volunteer your time.
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Gentle Monster
Happy Day to Marie, our amazing Customer of the Week!
Marie’s fab new Gentle Monster frames are so youthful and fun! We love the color and the shape on her.
Fafala is a great lightweight frame with shiny gold temples that make them a really versatile frame. Because Marie reads a ton, she wanted a pair of glasses to use just for seeing the computer screen and for reading. The lenses we chose for her are called occupational lenses, or indoor lenses. They enable you to see up to about 10 feet of your surroundings…and most importantly, to focus on your screen and book without any eye strain!!
And to answer your question…yes! you do recognize Marie ...she and her lovely husband were featured last year in their amazing Theo frames. Marie and her husband love unique and colorful frames and we loved her latest pick so much that we knew she had to be our COTW again!
Let’s get to know Marie!
- What do you do for a living? Drink wine and eat dark chocolate (I’m retired)
- How many glasses do you have? Only two pairs that I use regularly.
- What is your astrological sign? Aquarius….Aqua..ri..us…
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Watermelon
- What is your beverage of choice? Root Beer or Pina Colada
- Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! Crossword puzzles, because they teach me to look at things from different angles.
- What is your secret talent? I’m very intuitive
- How long have you been wearing glasses? Since the second grade
- Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? I’m not very good at either one. I’d rather watch movies or read all day.
- What is your guilty pleasure song? ‘Because’ by the Dave Clark Five
- What is your favorite place on earth? Hawaii
- What is your favorite moment? Any time that I’m on a dance floor surrounded by family and friends.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!
It is our lucky week!! The day after Friday, May 13th, we will be having an Anne et Valentin Pop-up Shop all-week long…beginning on Saturday the 14th from 11-5pm. With their newest releases *and* all of the styles and colors in their current collection, it’s going to be amazing!!
Continuing our lucky streak, Anne et Valentin introduced a ton of purple into their new and current collection! They must have read our mind…or just finally listened to us;-)
BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE!!!
With every purchase of an Anne et Valentin frame and prescription lenses during the pop-up shop, we will throw in FREE, yes FREE, anti-reflective coating…which is usually $125!!
The Pop-Up Shop continues for a week until Saturday, May 21st at 3pm and culminates in a Grand Cirque de Printemps at Eye Spy until 6pm…or whenever we feel like kicking you out:-)
For our French-circus themed soiree, JoSnow will be joining us to provide boozy snow cones! No circus is complete without cotton candy, caramel corn…and accordion music!!
As you know, each month we donate a portion of sales from our event to a local non-profit organization. May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month and we are thrilled to be working with the American Brain Tumor Association.
A bientot!! In other words, see you soon!!
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Filed under: EVENTS!
We get fired up at Eye Spy about environmental issues. We are avid reducers, reusers and recyclers. So, when Earth Day rolls around, it’s hard for us to figure out what to differently to help Mother earth. This year, we racked our brains….and came up with some great ideas, or at least we think so!!
We asked the lab that cuts our lenses to save the cut and edged lenses that would normally be thrown away. We have a few boxes of them…and had planned to make a spectacular curtain out of them, but that has not happened yet:-( Soon…very soon! In the meantime, we will be using them this month for your benefit!! Drumroll please…
First, we filled up a big (actually, huge) mason jar with these lenses….and it is your job to guess how many lenses are in the jar!! If you guess correctly, YOU WIN A PAIR of PlasticDelux sunglasses!!
Next, we are putting together kits for you to take home on Earth Day and make a pendant from the old eyeglasses lenses! It is easy enough for a kid or adult to make…..and the results are super-awesome! If you cannot make it in, here are the instructions for the version pictured below….and here is another similar option
After we pay our taxes, we might go crazy and try and make this pendant….
We are also excited to have everyone write down a pledge that they are making for the month and hang the pledge on our clothes line. It can be a pledge to stop using paper towels, ride your bike more, or anything that you can do to help contribute to making our planet a healthier and more thriving place for all of us to live.
We are also offering a few deals, of course, that are easy on the earth *and* on your pocket book….
65% off all wooden eyewear in-stock
$50 off a complete pair of prescription eyewear if you donate an old pair of functioning glasses that we can send to New Eyes for the Needy
We have instilled green practices at Eye Spy Optical from day-one.
From printing on the back-sides of used paper rescued from local businesses & schools; giving used packing materials to neighborhood business; emailing receipts; online order-entry systems; reusing dishes, cups, and silverware; urging vendors to reduce packaging, shipments, paper invoices & faxes; reducing, reusing, recycling & composting; purchasing used furniture, fixtures & office equipment; using cloth towels instead of paper; giving away felt wine bags instead of paper shopping bags; refilling eyeglass spray bottles with concentrated cleaner; installing an extra pane of glass, insulation & LED bulbs in our storefront and in-store, we tend to go a bit over-board in our desire to lessen our impact on the planet.
Did we miss anything? Let us know!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein
Three Cheers for Abigail! Our newest Customer of the Week!!!!
Like many of us, Abigail has an eye for the finer things in life. You know what I am talking about…things that shine and shimmy in the light…things that glint and glimmer. And who can blame her? Sparkles just make life better!
Luckily, for all of us, Francis Klein has the golden touch. Their glasses are more like jewelry than your run of the mill “medical device” frames. Some of their frames are more subtle…a few Swarovskis sprinkled at the temple of a frame. Some have a bit more magic…
These Lotus frames have put a spell on Abigail.
Abigail hasn’t been wearing glasses for long, but she knows what she wants…and she wants to be gorgeous in glitter!
Let’s Get to Know Abigail!
- What do you do for a living? I am a Door-Gal and a Massage Therapist
- How many glasses do you have? 2 pairs
- What is your astrological sign? Capricorn
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Sushi
- What is your beverage of choice? Chai Tea or Malbec
- What is your secret talent? I can still do forward and backward rolls
- How long have you been wearing glasses? 2.5 yrs
- What is your guilty pleasure song? Tainted Love or Uncle Johns Band (Grateful dead)
- What is your favorite place on earth? In the arms of my wife
- What is your favorite moment? The day I got married.
You can find Abigail at her website Abidoula.com and at Chicago Doula Care on Yelp.
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Filed under: HEALTH!, Non-Profit of the Month
Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization. This month we are excited to be working with Mane in Heaven.
Mane In Heaven is a wonderful organization of volunteer workers that was founded in February 2012 by Mane in Heaven President Jodie Diegel with the mission to provide “therapeutic benefits to disabled and able-bodied children and adults through animal-assisted activity and therapy visits with miniature horses leading to improved outcomes of physical, mental and emotional well-being.”
Mane in Heaven ponies travel to Chicago-land area nursing homes, hospitals, retirement homes, schools and anywhere else therapy ponies might bring some joy and relief. It is no secret that therapy animals have been helping those in need for many years now, and we can’t think of another animal we’d like to meet quite as much as these adorable little beasts.
Pet Partners, the pioneer of animal-assisted therapy believes that therapy pet visit benefits include: Empathy, Outward Focus, Acceptance, Entertainment, Socialization, Mental Stimulation, Physical Contact, Physiological Benefits and more.
Want to support the ponies?
Come to our March Madness Makeover Party on March 19th from 12-4pm at Eye Spy Optical and complete your makeover with a new pair of fabulous specs – we will be donating a percentage of our sales from the day! You can also take a look at their website and and like their facebook page to keep up with their latest news, for opportunities to meet the ponies, and to find out how you can volunteer your time.
It is undeniable…these volunteers and ponies bring smiles to many faces – I bet you are smiling right now!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Theo
Say hi to Lizzie everyone! She is our most colorful Customer of the Week yet!
Seriously…Rainbow Brite’s got nothin’ on this girl!
Lizzie is a breath of fresh air…if air were rainbow-colored with a touch of acid. Just think Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat…with more Technicolor.
Lizzie was looking for some new specs to go with her already amazing rainbow wardrobe and heard that the Queen of Specs would have just what she needed at Eye Spy Optical. Dazzled by all the amazing shapes and colors, Lizzie was in heaven the minute she walked in the door. She looked around a bit and something caught her eye…but the Queen of Specs knew exactly what to show Lizzie: A neon yellow and pink limited edition Theo Mille+-4 frame.
It was almost as if that frame had been waiting for Lizzie to visit the shop. As Lizzie put the glowing glasses on, the Queen was not surprised…they were a perfect fit!
Lizzie declared that Eye Spy is “THE greatest optic shop I’ve ever known of. I’m a total convert; there’s no better place that suits my style” and the rest is history!
Let’s get to know Lizzie!
- What do you do for a living? I’m a college student (Biology major,) writer, fashion blogger, and multimedia artist. I’m preparing to enter a pre-med program at UIC.
- How many glasses do you have? Only one Rx pair, but I want to expand my eyeglass wardrobe so I can coordinate with all of my outfits! I love my current pair; they fit so well into my style! I am eyeing a nice pair of custom Frances Klein glasses, however; luckily I know where to go!
- What is your astrological sign? I’m a Libra! I’ve interpreted my birth chart for fun and I have a lot of Aquarius influence as well! I suppose that accounts for the eccentricity.
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Vegan ice cream! At least I won’t run out of flavors. Though it would be nice to have french fries to dip in them…
- What is your beverage of choice? Every Slurpee flavor layered in a rainbow. None of the sugar-free flavors though; gotta keep the dentist in business!
- Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I absolutely love making or altering my clothing or accessories, skateboarding, drawing, studying medicine and psychology, playing music, and singing. I’ve had a DIY philosophy ever since I was little; I even dye and cut my own rainbow hair!
- What is your secret talent? I’m extremely observant, and I can keenly read people down to the smallest detail, despite being quite shy (even though I’m neon, I’m rather quiet!) I also have a great knowledge base of music, movies, TV, and fashion from decades before I was even born. It’s great because I can track cultural influences and origins down very quickly, and I’m certainly never bored! It also impresses people who are years my senior, who I often find I share more in common with than my peers!
- How long have you been wearing glasses? Ever since I was 10, so about 14 years. I went through contact lens phases, but mostly because I wanted 50 pairs of fashion glasses to swap out whenever I wanted. I think glasses look great, and rarely have I been seen without them since adulthood. (She is our kinda gal!)
- Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? I’d love to swim for a whole day! That was all summer for me as a kid. My mom and grandma used to say I was “just like a fish,” because it was near-impossible to get me out of the water. I’m still the same, as long as the water’s warm enough.
- What is your guilty pleasure song? I’m very open and honest about the immense variety of music I listen to, but I’d say “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sayer or “Holiday Road” by Lyndsay Buckingham. They may be a bit cheesy, but those harmonies get me every time.
- What is your favorite place on earth? San Francisco. I’m just another eccentric there, and I love it. It always reminds me of Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” quote in reference to this: ‘just another freak in the freak kingdom.’ It’s comforting.
- What is your favorite moment? Taking the subway to the Cook County Courthouse on Halloween to marry my husband, the only person I’ve ever fallen in love with. We wanted to do things in our own casual, offbeat way. My mom made a beautiful rainbow bouquet for me by hand, and our whole ceremony is on tape! Easily the most incredible event in my entire life.
Lizzie has a Tumblr blog where she posts fashion, videos, art and anything that inspires her: trashylvania.tumblr.com.
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Filed under: EVENTS!, FASHION!, HEALTH!
Join us on Saturday, March 19th from 12-4pm!
I don’t know about you, but we are all getting more than a bit antsy in our pantsies for some Spring around here. And what’s better than a new look to start off the spring right?
This year we are really excited to have so many great people joining us for our day of fun. We have invited 2 make-up artists (one more traditional and one more avant-garde), an accessory designer, a skin care guru, and a manicurist to join us for our party!!
Makeup!
Ursula came highly recommended by our very own Specs Wrangler, Patsy. They worked together when Patsy needed a makeup artist for her senior thesis fashion shoot. She’ll be doing FREE mini-makeovers and giving makeup tips.
Sky Cubacub can decorate your face with rad makeup designs & decorate your body with her amazing handmade accessories!
Nails!!
Jenny from Noktivo Salon will be painting your nails with beautiful nail polishes that are good for you & the planet!
Skin Care!
And Dr. Jan Iwata will help you make your skin lovely for Spring with her new line of natural skin care products: Radiant Beauty Orangics!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without some delectable treats to nibble and beverages to sip.
Bring your friends and shake off that last bit of winter while having some fun and trying a new look – you might even find a fabulous and funky new pair of glasses that completes your fabulous spring makeover:-)
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