Tag Archives: bold color

Filed under: Shop Local. Shop Lincoln

Shop Local. Shop Lincoln: Eye Spy Optical!

Written by on April 10th 2015

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.

Alissa Fields, Queen of Specs at Eye Spy Optical

Alissa is wearing her signature Theo Cinquante in Hot Pink. The bright color really pops on this classic shape and is anything but ordinary – just like Alissa!

EYE SPY_alissa

Also known ’round these parts as The Queen of Specs, Alissa is the colorful and funky owner of Eye Spy Optical.

Eye Spy Optical came into being after many fruitless searches for red and purple glasses. Realizing that there was a lack of fun, colorful and funky glasses in Chicago, Alissa (a.k.a the Queen of Specs) decided that the folks in Chicago deserve glasses that have some personality!

Since Alissa was a kid, she wanted to start her own business. She had lemonade stands, worked in retail starting at 4 years old in her grandparents’ lamp store and earned an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. Alissa’s parents’ design background guided her interests towards well-designed and beautiful objects. The Queen of Specs wore glasses since the age of 12, and always helped her friends pick out their specs. One day, it finally dawned on her … she would love to have an eyeglass shop and fit people with spectacular specs.

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Fun Facts About Alissa:

How long have you been in business? 17 years

Who was your teenage celebrity crush? Charlie Sheen

If you could be any animal, what would it be? Mandarin Fish

Are you right or left handed? Right handed

What color are your eyes? Hazel

Where did you grow up? Rogers Park, Lakeview, Glencoe, Wilmette and Evanston…Whew!

What hood do you live in now? Mayfair

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Alissa and her staff  pride themselves in outfitting customers with frames that are bit out-of-the-ordinary. Many of their customers say that they are surprised at what eyeglasses they choose for them. They always hear how much our customers love their new glasses, how many compliments they receive, how much fun they had picking out frames…and how they will return to Eye Spy again and again!

They stock frames in every color of the rainbow, and sell more red and purple glasses than black glasses. They also do a ton of special orders, so if you are looking for something specific or more sedate, they can help you find it. They have spectacular specs and shades for men, women and kids.

Eye Spy Optical offers personalized fittings, “Try-before-you-buy” digital photos of you in your glasses, expert advice, comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings, and honest opinions…about anything and everything!! If you let them guide you and listen to their opinions, it will be easy to decide on your new pair of simply spectacular specs.

Eye Spy Optical * 3350 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago IL 60626 * 773-477-2670

EyeSpy

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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Theo, Unique Frame Lines

Cool Customer Of The Week!

Written by on April 1st 2015

Snap those fingers like you are in a french jazz club for Carl, our newest Customer Of The Week!

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Carl came into the store on one of those cold pre-spring days to look at new frames.  He was wearing a pair of Anni Shades Glimpse frames and was ready for something a little different.

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He ended up leaving with two funky new pairs of specs that are perfect for the warm sunny days that are on their way.

AS GLIMPSE

Carl has loved wearing his Anni Shades Glimpse and was ready for a new look, so our Optical Oracle suggested he look at some metal and acetate frames.

CINQUANT+7

Carl put on a pair of Theo Cinquante+Sept in bright orange and couldn’t take them off. The color looks amazing on him and because the frames are titanium, they are light and comfortable.

TH MILLE+13

He was also drawn to the chunky black Theo Mille+13. The matte and shiny textures create a fun contrast and makes these glasses anything but your basic black acetate frame.

Carl feels like glasses are one of the best accessories that men have, and we couldn’t agree more!!! He was a delight to work with and we hope he loves his new eyewear wardrobe as much as we do.

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Filed under: Niloca, Shop Local. Shop Lincoln

Shop Local. Shop Lincoln: Paulina Meat Market!

Written by on March 4th 2015

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.

JOHNNY_ PAULINA MEAT MARKET_s

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

Customer Of The Week…Couples Edition!

Written by on March 2nd 2015

Introducing our Customers Of The Week…Ellen and Denny!

ELLEN&DENNY_F

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.

RESREI_OTTONE

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…

THE0_TIJL

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…

THEO_TIJL_CUSTOMEYES

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!

ELLEN_F

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!

Introducing our newest line: Piero Massaro!

Written by on February 24th 2015

Bold color…Check! Beautiful wearable shapes…Check!  Unique design details…Check! Fantastic textures…Check!  Piero Massaro frames have it all!

PM Cubika

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!

Piero Massaro

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.

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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.

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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: Shop Local. Shop Lincoln, Theo

Shop Local. Shop Lincoln: Buliding Blocks!

Written by on February 13th 2015

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!!

KATHY_BUILDING BLOCKS_s

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: EVENTS!, NEWS!, Niloca

Let’s Dance…with Niloca!

Written by on December 26th 2014

You know how some things just go together…peanut butter and jelly, picnics and sunny days…David Bowie and Niloca! …or is that just me?

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The first time I laid eyes on these babies, I was wowed! The colors, shapes, and even textures that the talented Colin Redmond and his team use in their designs are fit for a queen…or maybe a space alien king!

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I can’t think of anything better than getting dressed up in a pair of Niloca specs and spending the day dancing through the wonderful world of that crazy music making genius at the David Bowie retrospective at the Museum of Contempoary Design in Chicago. The show features over 400 objects from a 5 decade career including handwritten lyrics, set designs and COSTUMES!

you said what?!?

you said what?!?

Niloca hasn’t been around for 5 decades yet, but with their fun and playful designs, I am willing to bet that  they will be.

space aged in the best of ways

You will have to hurry if you want to go visit Bowie’s world…the last day of the show is January 4th, and you should definitely go, even if you don’t have a pair of wacky specs to wear (but you know where to come if you want some!) The MCA will have special Extended David Bowie is a Holiday Hours  for the last week of the show, so you really don’t have an excuse for missing it.

You know you want to.

You know you want to.

 

 

 

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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

A VERY Special Edition of Customer of the Week!

Written by on December 22nd 2014

Put your hands together, my friends, and help me welcome the one…the only…HOT DOUG!!!!

Hot Doug is so suave (you thought I was going to say hot!) in his new Anne Et Valentine Fame frame.

Hot Doug is so suave (you thought I was going to say hot!) in his new Anne Et Valentine Fame frame.

Hot Doug is well known ’round these parts for serving up delicious salty encased meats (hot dogs!) for the past 13 years at the Chi-town institution, Hot Doug’s.

You can't get the dogs, but you CAN get a T-Shirt!

You can’t get the dogs anymore, but you CAN still get a T-Shirt!!!

He closed up shop in October, but you can still outfit your friends and family for your Hot Doug’s fan club at his website.

Don’t worry, he isn’t going to retire and disappear (though he may decide to take a long nap) and will be pursuing other exciting opportunities soon – maybe a charity, something that gives back to Chicago…we think he should persue an acting career!

Chi-Town Showdown: George Wendt-Jitsu vs Hot Doug-Fu from Wolf Point Media on Vimeo.

Whatever he decides, Doug is ready to for his next adventure in his cool new green and black Anne Et Valentin Fame frames.

Doug's career in cased-meats might be over, but Fame will help him get through his days!

Doug’s career in encased-meats might be over, but Fame will help him get through his days!

Known as a friendly guy, Doug made friends with people all over the country (a few weeks ago he ran into a guy who recognized him when he was on an RV trip down south!)  He even gave our Queen of Specs a free veggie dog one day when she took  her princesses out for a bite and forgot her wallet. Awwe!

So, my friends, if you see Hot Doug around, say hi and make sure you compliment him on his new specs. And, as Doug said when he left Eye Spy the other day, Happy Cholidays!

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Filed under: Caroline Abram, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, EVENTS!

Customer Of The Week!!!

Written by on November 9th 2014

Introducing our lovely Customer of the Week…Silvana and her adorable pup Penny!

Oh that face!

Oh that face!

When Silvana and Penny walked in to the shop it was love at first site… for everyone!  We were enamored with puppy  snuggles and she fell in LOVE with an absolutely gorgeous teal pair of Liliane glasses by Caroline Abram.  

Silvana and Penny spend their days at the Chicago Mosaic School and are pros at taking  care of business in style!!! So stop by for a class or workshop and make sure to say hi for us!

CA Liliane

 

Caroline Abram is known for effortless and wearable style and all of her frame shapes come in a rainbow of colors.

SQUEAL!!!!

SQUEAL!!!!

Don’t forget that this Saturday (November 15) is our Caroline Abram Trunk Show. Stop by, see the new collection and fall in love!

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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein, Unique Frame Lines

Customer of the Week!!!

Written by on August 21st 2014

It’s that time again folks, customer of the week time that is.  Allow us to introduce Beth, delcared her self the orginal the Pink Lady. Beth tried to find glasses at a shop that shall not be named (aka the Voltermort of Glasses Shops, and yes we did just say that.) She quickly realized that her personailty was just too much for that store.  Beth’s lovely daughter Ruth brought her into Eye Spy, turning her over to the thoughtful hands of the Design Maven.

Beth and the Design Maven had a blast picking out these beautiful Francis Klein Bisou frames in sparkly leopard. Not only does she look awesome, she looks like she might teach you to bake or maybe just kick you to the curb, like any Pink Lady would.

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Thanks for being such a B.A. Pink Lady Beth you look amazing in your Francis Kleins! We had a blast helping you pick these beauties out!!!

P.S. did we mention that Beth also got a referral discount since her daughter Ruth referred her here! Refer a friend and they save

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