Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, FASHION!
It is one of the most exciting times of year…
time for the Anne et Valentin Spring Trunk Show!
Saturday, May 19th 11am – 5pm.
We already placed our order for crepes and finger-sandwiches…
which will go perfectly with the mimosas;-)
The new collection is full of lush colors and pretty patterns.
Patterns and geometric shapes are combined to create the limited edition Pictoral series.
The Symbolic collection features Japanese titanium shaped into delicate and artistic shapes. These wire shapes are aren’t your grandma’s glasses.
New designs and colors have been added to all of their collections…and we cannot wait to have you try them all on! Every color in every shape that is in the current collection will be here for you to drool over and model, so bring a friend!!
See these, and even more beautiful frames that have been added to the 2018 Spring collection on Saturday, May 19th from 11am – 5pm.
See for yourself why Anne et Valentin is one of our favorites!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, FASHION!
Join us on Mother’s Day weekend for a one-of-a-kind manicure! Artist Hillery Sproatt will be at Eye Spy Optical painting works of art on your fingernails on Saturday, May 13th. Her abstract floral designs will make you smile every time you look at your hands:-)
Invite your mom or a friend to join you…and stay for high tea with finger sandwiches, and scones!
Appointments are every 30 minutes and the nail painting costs $35/person.
Register here: http://bit.ly/2pRyt8Q
After you register for the event, we will contact you to schedule an appointment time.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Piero Massaro
Couples in glasses are our absolute favorite…especially when they look as good in their frames as our Customer’s of the Week: Ron and Bonnie!
Bonnie has been coming to Eye Spy Optical for all of her fabulous frames for a several years and when it was time for her sweetie to get a new frame, she was able to convince him to give Eye Spy a try! Patsy, the Specs Wrangler, helped him pick out an amazing Piero Massaro in the most amazing blue color – he really looks handsome!
Of course maybe it was her sexy new sunnies that convinced him – check her out in her new Anne et Valentin Streep shades.
Let’s get to know Ron and Bonnie!
- What do you do for a living? Ron is a social worker and I am now fully retired.
- How many glasses do you have? Ron had 3 pair of glasses and I have 4. All mine are from Eye Spy.
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? We’d both chose pasta as the one food we’d eat for the rest of our lives.
- What is your beverage of choice?Our beverage of choice is wine – we’ve visited a number of wine areas in the States and Europe. The most intriguing one in the States was Walla Walla, Washington.
- How long have you been wearing glasses? Ron has worn glasses since age 5 and I since about 10 years ago.
- Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? Ron would choose a time machine that goes backwards and I’d choose one that goes forward.
- What is your favorite place on earth? Our favorite place to visit is Paris!
- What is one book, movie or tv show you think everyone should know about? We think people should tune in to PBS for Inspector Morse or Last Tango in Halifax.
- What is podcasts do you listen to on the regular? Ron listens to The Moth and I listen to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.
- What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? We love Chicago for all its food, especially those with ethnic food, and cultural venues.
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, HEALTH!, KIDS!
Three Cheers for Lake, our Customer of the Week!
Lake’s mom brought her in for an eye exam with our amazing Eye Doctor. Lake was a teensy bit nervous, but our doctor is great with kids and made it really fun and easy. Lake found out that she was going to need glasses she couldn’t have been more thrilled! As it turns out, she was hoping that she would need them – she LOVES glasses 
The Optical Oracle helped her try on kids frames until she found just the right one – a red metal frame that fit like a dream and made her feel like a million bucks!
We LOVE it when kids get excited about their glasses and as you can see, Lake is beaming!
Let’s learn a little more about Lake!
- What is her favorite color? Aqua
- If she could be any animal, what would she be and why? Reindeer so I can fly (Here are 11 things you might not know about Reindeer!)
- What is her favorite thing to do in the summer time? Surf on vacation
- What is her favorite activity or subject at school? Reading
- How many siblings does she have? An older brother and younger brother
- If she were in a talent show, what would her talent be? Play guitar and dancing
It is almost time for Chicagoland kids to head back to school and all kids entering school for the first time are required to get their eyes examined by an eye doctor. Our docs are low key and make it painless – your kids don’t even need to know their letters or numbers! So visit our website to schedule your little one’s appointment.
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Filed under: EVENTS!, FASHION!, NEWS!
Join us at Randolph St Market on Sunday, July 31st!
Looking for something fun to do on you weekend? Love antiques and quirky treasures? Enjoy eating at food carts? Then get your butt over to Randolph St Market and enjoy a day of scavenging at Chicago’s best place to shop for vintage furniture, fashion, clothing, jewelry, antiques, art, indie designer & handbags and glasses!
Iris, the Airstream, will be poppin’ up at the Randolph St. Market again this year and she can’t wait to meet you!
The Queen of Specs will be there to help you find your perfect pair of frames – selecting from a variety of fun and funky glasses and sunglasses.
The fabulous Melissa Yen of Jo Snow will also be joining us for the market, serving up specialty snow cones to keep you cool! So make sure you stop by and get a treat!
The Deets:
Randolph St. Market Festival
1340 W Washington Street, Chicago
$8 General Admission/Kids Under 12 Free
For more ticket info go to: http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com
Can’t wait to see you there!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Rapp
She’s got style, she’s got grace, she’s a winner…
Kate is a lady who knows what’s up and when it was time for a new pair of specs, she boogied on over to Eye Spy Optical for a new sassy look.
Kate is the Stylist and lady in charge at Chroma K8 Beautique on Lincoln Ave, a green salon that specializes in making women look their best, so she has an appreciation for all things gorgeous and glamorous with just the right hint of fun.
Kate tried on a few gorgeous frames, but the one that caught her eye was a sparkly candy colored
Rapp Eyewear cat-eye named Maeve. Vintage inspired Maeve is a as pretty as Kate and look so good with her blonde ringlets.
Stay tuned for our new lookbook – Kate did hair and makeup for our models and they look AMAZING! Here is a little sneak peek of our model Compton – after Kate did her magic.
Let’s get to know Kate!!!!
1. What do you do for a living? I’m a hair colorist & Stylist, I’ve owned my salon for almost 3 years
2. How many glasses do you have? Hmm, Probably 6 or so, but I don’t wear most of them anymore.
3. What is your astrological sign? Aquarius
4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? If weight wasn’t an issue, Carol’s Cookies! 
5. What is your beverage of choice? Water/Coffee/Vodka & 7UP depends on the time of day
6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I collect vintage Chalkware, banks, salt & pepper shakers, planters…to name a few.
7. What is your secret talent? I know sign language fairly well, I was in interpreter school for almost 2 years
8. How long have you been wearing glasses? 30 Years
9. Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? One that goes back
10. What is your guilty pleasure song? System Of A Down – Chop Suey
13. What is podcasts do you listen to on the regular? Entreleadership, it’s for business owners
14. What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? My family & our city’s diversity
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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: 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: 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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