Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Rapp
Starting of the month right with a FABULOUS new Customer of the Week!! Meet Mary!
Mary is one of our long time customers who is truly dedicated to her frame wardrobe. So much so that she moved to Maryland (haha, Mary-land) and STILL travels back to Chicago just to get here frames here. This lady has frames for every day of the week! So, we’re totally stoked that she chose this bold Rapp “Bond” frame. These are a hard frame to wear, but she rocks it so effortlessly. Rock on Mary!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, Oliver Goldsmith, RES/REI, Unique Frame Lines
Come in on July 10th from 12-7pm and grub on hot dogs, s’mores, beer, and dance your face off with White Mystery!!!! White Mystery will be in full swing from 12-1pm. Don’t miss ‘em! Oh, geeze…we almost forgot to mention that we will have the whole RES/REI and Oliver Goldsmith collections in the house!!!
We know you secretly love #throwbackthursday. It’s ok, we do too! Well, we are bringing back some of our old Thursday activities. Back in the day, we had Eye Spy’s Battle of the Bands! Turns out that this throwback will not be a battle, but rather a killer set by the brother sister duo White Mystery! We are so pumped to share our afternoon with these gingers!
We have never, ever had a RES/REI trunk show!!! We are just a tid bit excited about this one! RES/REI takes classic Italian shapes, then updates the shapes and adds a touch of color and/or interesting modern detail. They are handmade with love in Italy. RES REI means ‘the thing’ in Latin. It means an existing object, with substance and form; but it also means a concept, an idea. RES/REI is the ensemble of things that make life around us, in all given forms.
Here are a few teaser images for RES/REI:
Now for some teasers from Oliver Goldsmith:
Did you know that Oliver Goldsmith made Audrey Hepburn’s sunglasses? Think of all those cult films, and 20th Century style icons… yeah, they made those sunnies too. They are particularly dreamy, in that old Hollywood sorta feel.
So come by Thursday, July 10th starting at noon for trunk shows & to rock out with White Mystery!!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Julbo
It’s a family affair! This trio was just too cute, so we made all three of them the Customers of the Week!!
Meet Kathy, Curt, and their little bruiser, Wil!
Curt has been coming to Eye Spy for frames for some time now. He’s gathered quite the collection of Anne et Valentin frames. His “Factory Eight” frames (pictured here) are his most recent addition. Since Curt developed such an appreciation for the designer, it was only natural that Kathy would end up being just as inspired!
When the family came in to pick up Curt’s glasses, our Anne at Valentin trunk show just happened to be in full swing at Eye Spy. Kathy hadn’t purchased glasses in years, but fell in love with the “Lou” frame in chocolate brown with pink accents. She decided that she needed to look as good as her husband, but needed a very comfortable frame. This titanium frame fit the bill…and will stand up to the wear and tear that certain toddlers can impose on glasses;-)
A special honorable mention goes to the little guy, sporting his super fly Julbo sunglasses. Maybe when he’s all grown up, he’ll join the ranks and carry on the Anne et Valentin frame tradition!
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Filed under: Gentle Monster, HEALTH!
Now that nice weather is here, many of us have pulled out the sunscreen and sunglasses. The dangers of ultraviolet (UV) exposure are widely known, but current research shows that even blue visible light can cause biological damage, particularly in the eye. Blue light sources include sunlight as well as computers, TVs, lights, cell phones, and tablets.
Below are Dr. LaBrosse’s recommendations to protect your eyes:
Physical protections include using sunglasses and wide brimmed hats outdoors. Your prescription “indoor” lenses may also be protected with a clear UV block or an anti-glare coating that blocks blue light for heavy computer users.
(Gentle Monster frames along with a wide-brimmed hat always look good!)
Chemical protections are sunblocks and sunscreen. Many facial moisturizers can be found that include SPF. These are perfectly fine to use on your eyelids as well (just steer clear of the lash margin). Amazingly, there are very few eye creams that have SPF, but Dr. LaBrosse has found some that she can recommend.
Nutrients are important in providing the eye the building blocks to maintain its own natural sun protection. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high concentrations in the macula (the area of the eye responsible for color vision and 20/20 vision). These pigments protect the eye from UV/blue light exposure, and high concentrations in the eye are protective against macular degeneration. Green leafy vegetables (especially kale) and yellow/orange fruits and vegetables provide lutein and zeaxanthin. If you have a family history of macular degeneration or just plain don’t like to eat your veggies, Dr. LaBrosse recommends vitamin supplementation. Her favorite product is EyePromise by Zeavision, available at EyeSpy or at zeavision.com.
Start enjoying the summer, local farmer’s markets….and use these tips to protect your eyes from blue light:-)
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Filed under: Anni Shades, EVENTS!
June brings us Father’s Day, but around here we are simply celebrating all of our important men, whether it’s your dad, brother, best dude or significant other. We have lined up an *awesome* assortment of new stylings for your favorite guy.
At the top of the list, Anni Shades will be here with their expertly handcrafted wooden frames. Did we mention that they are made in the midwest? Ohio, to be exact.
Also joining us for the day will be Carolina from Trumaker with custom-made menswear and ties!
Finally, Adreana will be giving complimentary massages to help you relax & enjoy the weekend!!
Bring your best dude & pick out some new fancy duds on Friday, June 13th from 4-7pm.
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No Eye Spy event would be complete without some booze and snacks! We will also be donating a percentage of our profits to Active Transportation Alliance.
To top the day off, we will have our annual Freaky Friday Sale in celebration of Friday the 13th! All frames in- stock are 13% off!!
Come celebrate your best guy, our Design Maven’s birthday and Freaky Friday!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Gentle Monster
Drumroll please, for our new Customer of the Week: Karen!!!!
Oh, Karen. Where to begin with Karen. She is a free spirit and quite the character. But she and our Specs Wrangler, Patsy, are sort of kindred spirits. So it was easy for the two of them to vibe and find some specs that were suitable for Karen’s style and flair.
Karen has a ton of Eye Spy specs, but she recently fell in love with these Gentle Monster “Furrow” sunnies. She’s a self proclaimed hippie chick, so these John Lennon-esque round sunglasses are PERFECT for her boho summertime look.
Oh and did I mention Karen is a local artist who does beatuful, sculptures and mosaics!? She’s also the Founder and Executive Director at The Chicago Mosaic School!! Click the link to get more info on the school and the classes they offer. (Trust us…Karen’s the kind of teacher you wanna have.)
Congrats Karen on your new cool sunnies and being chosen as Customer of the Week!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!
Three cheers for our new customer of the week: Amy!! Watch out fellow baseball moms. Amy’s new frames are bound to make you a little jealous!
Amy came looking for something cute and fresh, but not too over the top. Ya know, that look where it seems like you just effortlessly threw something together even though you actually thought it out and carefully executed it? That’s exactly what these Anne et Valentin “Octet” frames in amethyst with mint green temples accomplish. Am I right?! These are the fourth pair of Anne et Valentin frames that Amy’s added to her roster, and they’re definitely a home run!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Theo
Double the trouble, double the fun! We love Theo and Anne et Valentin….so we are spreading the love by having both lines here the same weekend!! Our customers always have trouble deciding between Anne et Valetin and Theo, so now you don’t have to decide:-)
Mark your calendar: Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18
and prepare to see all the new Spring 2014 releases! Yipeeee!
And for the avid readers of our blog…and our current customers, we are having a sneak preview on Friday, May 16 in our Eye Spy Airstream pop-up from 4-7 pm!!! SHHHH. Don’t tell anyone;-) Of course, there will be cocktails and appetizers. It is a Friday night, after all.
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Filed under: EVENTS!, Eyebobs, Mykita
At Eye Spy we love a good Chicago cause. When we heard that the READ/WRITE LIBRARY CHICAGO got their bike stolen (a.k.a. the Bibliotreka), we knew we had to do something to help! After some brainstorming, we decided to host two trunk shows as a part of our Green Scene events…and a portion of the proceeds from the day will go to help READ/WRITE get a new bike! Mykita and Eyebobs Readers will be joining us for the day. (Ha! Readers for the Library!) READ/WRITE will also have a little crafting session with some up-cycled book parts. Join us April 26th from 11-4pm!
Wondering what in the heck the READ/WRITE LIBRARY CHICAGO is all about? Please allow me to explain… The Read/Write Library is an all-inclusive collection of Chicago-specific media, produced by and for the community. Through their unique indexing of contributors and their open venue, they provide a space for individuals, organizations and ideas to come together, and creative connections to emerge. They also had a sweet bike called “Bibliotreka”, that some not-so-nice person stole this summer! We are joining in the effort to raise some funds to replace their beloved bike.
Wondering what in the heck Mykita is all about? Mykita is a dream come true for those who are looking for a crazy durable light weight frame. They have got it down, with an all steel frame, a pressure hinge and a lovely assortment of shapes Mykita really make it happen. They also have a few plastic frames up their sleeves complete with a pressure hinge as well.
Next on the trunk show ticket is Eyebobs! Tired of those lame drug store readers that break two seconds after you walk out of the store? Eyebobs is just the answer…and the optics and styles are much better too! Each frame comes in about 5 different colors and every reading power! It’s magical…readers that you won’t be embarrassed to wear!!!! Hooray! Come in and try them all one to find one you love. Psssttt… they also have sunglasses!
Join us for a day of trunks, fun, crafts and help get READ/WRITE a new bike!
SATURDAY APRIL 26TH, 11-4PM!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, Mykita
We are so excited about our big plans for our GreenScene event this year! We are mixing it up once again and having two pop-ups, along with DIY activities that are suitable for all-ages.
To start us off on Saturday, April 12th…Lost Girls Vintage will be stationed out front with their pop-up, Winnie; she is a friendly RV loaded with vintage clothing and accessories! For the DIY portion of the day, our friend Julie will be teaching bird nesting helpers and some seed starting techquines.
Next up, on Saturday, April 26th….we will be having a fundraiser for the Read/Write Library. Unfortunately, their mobile BiblioTreka was stolen, so they need some bucks to replace it:-( We will be teaching a class on how to transform old card catalog cards into little notebooks…and the library will be here with a small portion of their collection.
And to top it all off…we will have the entire collection of Eyebobs readers and Mykita eyewear here for a trunk show on the 26th too!! We have really out-done ourselves this time! Stay tuned for another blog post that highlights these lines.
And as an Earth Day reminder…we are staunch environmentalists here at Eye Spy and have been this way since day one, 15 years ago. We compost, save & give used packing materials away to neighboring businesses, never buy any paper, email receipts, put LED bulbs in our outdoor sign, use china and glass instead of disposables…and recycle, recycle, recycle! Whew. Over and out!
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