Filed under: Niloca, Shop Local. Shop Lincoln
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.
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
Introducing our Customers Of The Week…Ellen and Denny!
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.
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…
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…
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!
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!
Bold color…Check! Beautiful wearable shapes…Check! Unique design details…Check! Fantastic textures…Check! Piero Massaro frames have it all!
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!
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.
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.
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: EVENTS!
We could not be more tired of this winter! Whew. With that, comes the all too familiar need for change… and we are here to help you out! Swing by Saturday, March 7th, from 12-4pm and get a make over! While you are waiting to get your makeup done by the wonderful Brenda Arelano, you can shop some of Milk Handmade’s lovely selection of accessories! The fun does not stop there! We will also have on hand some lovelies from Pretty Quick, who will be signing you up for free manicures! 
You know you can’t have a good party without some snacks! We will have wine, bruschetta and a few other tempting delights, to help you make some good decisions! We have had all too much of this winter, so get out of the cold and into some hot new specs at our March 7th makeover celebration!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, NEWS!, Niloca
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?
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!
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?!?
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.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!
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 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 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 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: EVENTS!, NEWS!
… with Eye Spy & our neighbors during the holiday season!!
Make purchases at locally-owned shops on Lincoln Ave., get entered in a gift raffle…and we donate to a non-profit for each participant:-) It’s easy…read below to see how to participate!
*Pick up a punch card at participating stores from 3200-3600 N Lincoln.
*Shop at 6 or more stores & get your card punched with each purchase.
*Select shops will be giving out samples & discounts.
*Bring the card back to Eye Spy to enter the gift raffle & we will donate $3 to a non-profit organization for each card entered!
*Check out the facebook page for special sneak peaks and updates!
Participating Businesses:
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Filed under: EVENTS!
With the holiday season creeping up on us, we wanted to remind you to Shop Local. Shop Lincoln! What’s in it for you, you might ask? Well, let me break it down for you! We’ve teamed up with our local loves on North Lincoln Avenue, from 3200 thru 3500 to bring you Shop Local. Shop Lincoln! Shop at any participating shop on Lincoln and they will give you one of our fabulous little punch cards, get 6 or more punches and drop the card off at Eye Spy and be entered to win a gift basket full of goodies from the whole neighborhood! We will be donating $3 per person who enters the raffle!
Perhaps each participating store will have a surprise for you? I hear they might be planning their own incentives!
We are kicking the whole thing off on Shop Small Saturday, November 29th! Shop around Lincoln Avenue till December 31st and drop you card by Eye Spy and enter to win some lovely neighborhood goodies!
Remember to Shop Local, Shop Lincoln!
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Filed under: EVENTS!
Celebrate with us on Sat., October 11th from 12-5pm!
It’s our birthday and we will cry if we want to….tears of joy, that is:-) Come and join us, while we celebrate in our fluffy dresses & watch “Sixteen Candles!” We will have cupcakes & candy, spiked punch, a bunch of frames on sale and birthday discounts!!
We almost forgot to mention the cake topper!? We will have some sweet work from Margie Criner, owner and mastermind behind Red-Belly!
From as far back as Margie can remember, she needed to make things. She recalls spending time in her dad’s wood shop in the basement of their house. At six years old, she made a walkie talkie out of a block of pine, a nail and some paint.
Now, years later, the tools she uses are more sophisticated, but the desire to produce remains the same. Margie’s education in textile design, graphics, and woodworking allows me to fulfill her childhood dream to create. Her work is rooted in color, eco- friendly materials, with a heavy concentration in composition. This must be why we love her one-of-a kind work so much!!
Come and celebrate 16 simply spectacular years of specs at Eye Spy! We will have a photo booth set-up, so don’t forget to wear your puffy dress:-) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11th from 12-5PM. Be there or be square.
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein
Meet Allison…our Customer of the week!
Allison fell head over heels in love with this Francis Klein Ginga frame…
Allison came in looking for a something different, and boy did we find it. She and the Design Maven knew this was the one. Allison put it on and practically started glowing! She was on a hunt for either a purple or a tortoise frame; They managed to find the best of both worlds, as this frame starts out purple and fades to tortoise!
Allison you are a total beauty in this frame, and in general. If we were in the E/R and you were our doc, it would make our day having you show up at our bedside wearing this frame! Thanks for being our Customer of the Week!!!
Here’s a close up shot of Allison’s lovely frame!!!!
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