Melissa popped into the shop and picked out a custom Francis Klein frame this summer, as you can tell from her outfit! The color is neutral…with a subtle detail of stripes peeking through the front. This striped material is a middle layer of acetate within the frame, but can only be seen by carving away the top layers of the acetate.
Each pair of Francis Klein frames in our stock is made exclusively for Eye Spy! Much of their collection is laden with Swarovski crystals, but since everything is made-to-order, it’s up to you!
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Oh wow…tough question! I think it would be Coca Wheats. Old school hot cereal that my mom used to make for me when I was a kid. It is still my go to comfort food!
What is your beverage of choice? This is a tie between Jim Beam & Diet with a lime & La Colombe’s Cold Brew coffee over ice with Splenda and half-n-half
Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! Yes! I love puzzles & paper crafts, although I work a lot so these hobbies are not regular activities in my life anymore.
What is your secret talent? I size people up very quickly based on their behavior I can usually tag their personality before really knowing them.
How long have you been wearing glasses? Since 4th grade
Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? Definitely forward in time- I feel what is in the past is in the past and we should only look forward.
What is your favorite place on earth? I have traveled a lot, but for me there is no place like home, Michigan; Pretty much anywhere along the beach in Southwest Michigan.
What is one book, movie or TV show you think everyone should know about? “The Rules of Work” By Richard Templar. This book changed my outlook towards my career and helped me achieve the success that I have with my career and business.
What is podcasts do you listen to on the regular? Serial! Love this series on NPR!
What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? This is a big city with a small city feel. I see people I know all the time when I am out and about.
Raise your glass because it is time to congratulate our newest Customer of the Week…Cheers Melissa!!!
Melissa was on the hunt for a new frame and our very own Queen of Specs got right to work to help her find a frame that is just as fun as she is – an Anne et Valentin Kodex frame in the prettiest green and pink combo we have ever seen. Melissa loved the unique shape and the little details, and the Queen was in full agreement.
Melissa is the beauty, brains and tastebuds behind Jo Snow Syrups, a delightful local line of natural syrups for spicing up your coffee, cocktails, snowcones…and really anything else that you could pour them on – we think they are especially lovely mixed with a little champagne
Her flavors are surprising and delightful…Blueberry Jasmine, Fig Vanilla Black Pepper, Grapefruit Rosemary…is your mouth watering yet?
What do you do for a living? I am the chief syrup officer for Jo Snow Syrups. I make hand crafted, all natural syrups for coffee, cocktails, sodas & snow cones.
How many glasses do you have? I currently have two pairs that I can actually see out of, plus sunglasses.
What is your astrological sign? I’m a Leo. Madonna & I share the same birthday and Elvis died on my 11th birthday
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Ok, this may be a strange answer, but goi cuon. They are fresh Vietnamese spring rolls that have rice noodles & veggies & pork or shrimp wrapped inside rice paper. They are usually served with a peanut sauce, but I like them dipped in nuc mum, a spicy fish sauce. The lemongrass tofu ones at Nhu Lan Bakery are my fave. They are so refreshing & light & healthy.
What is your beverage of choice? I love bubbles in any form, so I would have to say champagne, preferably a rose.
What is your secret talent? Hmmm…I have a super sniffer. I am able to smell things others cannot ,which is helpful if there is a gas leak, but not so pleasant in other cases. I also have a pretty darn good palate and can pick out ingredients in dishes pretty well.
How long have you been wearing glasses? I’ve been wearing glasses since the first or second grade. And I think those styles are back in style now. Scary!
Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? I think only backward in time. I would love to see my husband as a child. The pictures of him are so cute. I would want to see him interacting with others & see how he got some of his endearing & not so endearing habits! I would also love to see what the city looked like a hundred years ago. I would like to see ancient civilizations & see how the continents used to be a giant land mass. I think I would be afraid to see the future.
What is your guilty pleasure song? Sweet-Ballroom Blitz- I once had it as the outgoing message on my answering machine (remember those? Probably not)
What is one book, movie or tv show you think everyone should know about? One of my favorite movies is Tampopo. It is a quirky movie about the quest to make the perfect bowl of ramen. It has many smaller stories happening within the main story. It’s just so much fun. I own it on VHS & DVD. We’ve also projected it on a screen & “cooked” the movie.
What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? All the different kinds of food we can eat in all the different neighborhoods, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, El Salvadorian, Polish, and Jamaican.
Melissa is the sweetest lady we know and if you haven’t yet, get yourself some of her sweet treats…you will be so glad you did! You can find out more about her and her syrups, snow cones, and other delightful delectables at her website Josnowsyrups.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Josnowsyrupsand go like her page on Facebook – Jo Snow Syrups.
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
12. What is one book, movie or tv show you think everyone should know about? Tuesdays with Morrie
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
Valentine’s Day was Sunday, so we declare that this is the week of LOVE and I am deeply IN LOVE with our Customer of the Week’s glasses. Give yourself a little hug in honor of Karen!!!
Doesn’t Karen look fabulous in her new glasses?!? This is her first pair of Eye Spy specs, and wow! She chose such a unique and bold frame that fits her to a T.
Anne et Valentin’s Kodex frame is part of a new series that they premiered at the trade show in Paris back in Sept. When the Queen of Specs and the Specs Wrangler saw these beauties, they gasped! The colors, the shapes, the polka dots! It is like they were made for Eye Spy…and they were definitely made for Karen, ’cause when she put them on, it was obvious that she had to take them home.
Let’s Get to Know Karen!!!
What do you do for a living?I work for Georgetown University in Qatar (that’s just north of Saudi Arabia). I’m their Associate Director of Talent Management.
How many glasses do you have? How many do I have or how many do I wear? I have three pair now–four, if you count my prescription sunglasses–but I tend to wear the same pair day after day (indoors anyway!).
What is your astrological sign? I’m an Aries with a Cancer moon. Fire and water, which pretty much equals ash.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? A gooey, hot cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting.
What is your beverage of choice? Skinny lattes during the day. Sidecars (with a sugar rim, please) in the evening.
Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I like to write fiction for fun.
What is your secret talent? My friends at work call me the Proofreading Nazi, because I catch flaws in everything (and now I’m praying to God I haven’t mucked anything up with this questionnaire…).
How long have you been wearing glasses? Since I was 9 years old. A very, very long time.
Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Tap! I was a Theatre major and took my fair share of dance classes. It’s fun and you get the added bonuses of music and an audience (with any luck at all).
What is your guilty pleasure song? Anything by P!nk. Though I’m not very guilty about it.
What is your favorite place on earth? Cornwall, UK
Cornwall looks LOVELY!!!
12. What is your favorite moment? When I get off the elevator, coming home from work, and I hear my dog, Oliver, barking with joy from behind my apartment door.
Karen is as interesting as her glasses and we can’t wait for her to visit us again so we can chat all about her travels, her dog Oliver and her next daring pair of glasses.
Put your dancin’ shoes on ’cause Meghan got some new glasses AND she is our Customer of the Week!
Meghan and her husband come in to shop for glasses about once a year and let me tell you – this lady is a complete delight! She likes to try on frames that are a little unexpected and was not finding anything that felt perfect on her last visit…that is until Patsy picked out the ever so sweet Chou frame by Francis Klein for her to try on.
Glitter, leopard print, Swarovski crystals, gold hand painting…what else could a girl want?!? Meghan has a petite face and Chou is a great fit. Her eyes really pop and the color is divine with her ginger hair.
Chou in another pretty color – but is it as pretty as Meghan’s glasses?
These beauties came back from the lab just in time for Meghan to wear them to a work party she was throwing for Revolution Brewing, and from what we hear, she was the belle of the ball! She also told us she was planning on wearing them with a horse dress…and this is pretty much what I imagine she looked like at her party
What is your favorite place on earth?Anywhere with a beautiful view of nature and no cell reception.
What is your favorite moment?Having a beer with my husband at the end of the day
Congrats to Meghan and her new specs!!! She looks fantastic in her fabulous new frames. And if you are thinkin’ about having a party of your own, get in touch with Meghan and you may get a chance to be dazzled by her new glasses yourself!
Jump for joy for Jen, our new Customer of the Week!
Jen came into the store a couple years ago for her first pair of Eye Spy specs and chose a beautiful classic tortoise Caroline Abram cat-eye frame that was neutral and easy to wear with anything. She wore them for 2 years, loving them every minute but needed to update her prescription. This time around she decided she wanted something a little more fun, something with a little more punch so she came back to Eye Spy and Sara, our Design Maven, knew just what would make her heart sing. Together they created her very own personalized pair of Francis Klein frames.
Francis Klein frames are a favorite of so many people for a reason. They are very customizable – with hundreds of combinations of shapes, colors and decor options to choose from. The result? Dream Glasses!!!!
We think Jen wins the frame game…these are the perfect shape and hot pink is a most amazing color with her complexion and her hair!
This process could be overwhelming for some, but Sara made it easy. They started by selecting a shape. Jen has a rounded face and high cheeks, so cat-eye frames are a natural fit. The angles balance her face and the uplifted shape make her look even happier than she already is. The color choices were probably the hardest part but there was something about that hot pink that just felt right for the front. They balanced this out with a soft jade green on the temples. Finally they looked at the decor choices and decided on one that features hand-painted flowers with glittery Swarovski crystal centers. So sweet!
Pretty sure she needs to wear these at Pretty in Pink when it is in the theaters on Valentine’s day!
Lets get to know Jennifer!!!
1. What do you do for a living? I make hand-crafted herbal tinctures and essential oils at an integrative health clinic. You can call me a potion master (Oh…WE WILL!)
2. How many glasses do you have? 2 with my current prescription, but altogether, about 15
3. What is your astrological sign? Scorpio, of course
4. What is your beverage of choice? This week it’s the Moscow Mule.
5 What is your secret talent? I play the French Horn (38 years) and the Mandolin (3 years)
6. How long have you been wearing glasses? 34 years
7. What is your guilty pleasure song?Mr. Blue Sky, but This Corrosion runs a very close second.
8. What is your favorite place on earth? Any place that has trees or water as far as they eye can see, which is pretty far with my awesome glasses!
Jen’s new frame is as unique as she is and we can’t wait to see her again. If you are feeling a little bit envious, you should come in and ask about designing your own custom frame. We’ll make sure the process is fun and easy and that you get a frame that is perfect for you.
We have some new frames to entice and delight you from a wonderful new (to us) designer. Let me introduce you to our newest collection of french eyeglasses, Sabine Be! But first, some background…
The Queen of Specs had been seeing photos of Sabine Be for a over a year….so, when she made her wishlist for the buying show in Paris, Sabine Be was at the top of the list! The Queen likes to carry independent, small, colorful lines that are designed by opticians. In addition, independent optical designers are so nice to work with…and the quality & workmanship is amazing. Our appointment with Sabine Be was secured for the last day of the buying show. Each day that the Queen passed by the Sabine Be booth, she started drooling and the Specs Wrangler had to pull the Queen away!! Finally, the day arrived! And the clouds parted…..
Are you in LOVE yet? Everyone here at Eye Spy Optical have a bit of a crush, especially on this sassy little cat ear number.
Sabine grew up with a love of design, fashion and eyewear – both parents were involved in the optical world. She knew she would grow up to be a designer of some sort. So after years of work as an optician, Sabine started her own line of unique and colorful frames.
You may not know this but opticians make THE BEST eyewear designers. They pay attention to the little things – what will fit well, what will look good, what will feel comfortable in a frame. Sabine Be is comfortable and fun to wear. She uses beautiful colors and pairs them with fun and easy to wear shapes.
They are also beautifully made – Sabine has her frames made by hand at a small, well-known eyewear factory in France. Detail and quality have served as her guides she has been recognized by the eyewear design world for her talents, she was recently nominated for the prestegious Grand Prix Silmo d’Or 2015 in Paris.
We have a great selection of Sabine Be’s women’s and men’s frames as well as some fantastic accessories. Consider yourself warned…you may squeal with delight when you see them.
It is your favorite time of the week…yes, time to annouce our Customer Of The Week – LaTonya!!!!
LaTonya is like many women who come to Eye Spy. She has had a prescription for a while, she even has glasses, but she doesn’t really like to wear them. Over the last year she has noticed that she is straining her eyes and when she got her last eye exam, her doctor told her that she needs to wear her glasses all the time. This is NOT what LaTonya wanted to hear, but she decided that if she found some glasses that she LOVES she will wear them. She even decided that for her, it makes the most sense to get a couple of frames so that she can switch it up depending on her style.
With the help of our Design Mave, Sara, she decided on a pair – a gorgeous deep blue Wing frame by Francis Klein.
We know this isn’t her exact frame…but Francis Klein frames are super customizable. You can choose your color, your decor style and your crystals!
We LOVE the way Wing fits LaTonya and how the color and pattern look with her complexion! Wing has just the right amount of fun and funky and will go with almost everything in her wardrobe.
LaTonya looks fab in her new frame and now she will also be able to see! Win win!
Y’all it’s that magical time of year again! Trunk Show month at Eye Spy! It’s every Saturday all month long! We’ve got all of our favorite lines scheduled to make an appearance! Check out the line up below!
Anne et Valentin on November 7th
Anne et Valentin single handedly manages to give you just the right amount of color and grace in each of their lovely frames! And while their creations are original, colorful and lively, they are, above all, objects that combine ergonomics, technical requirements, and respect for those who wear them.
Spex Wax on November 14th
Spex Wax is the ultimate upcycle: art for your face! Rescuing unplayable records, recrafting them with love and artistry that is the very core of Spex Wax. Come and choose from one of their brilliant styles. If for some reason you can’t manage to find your dream pair, you can have one designed for you! Each pair is totally swoon worthy, but don’t take my word for it, come and see for yourself.
THEO on November 21st
Theo eyewear is a little bit like magic in the way that their frames are designed. If you are looking for metal or acetate they have got you covered in the smartest, dreamiest way possible. Their pairing of color and shape is on point. Don’t believe me? Come in and see every perfect pair in each incredible color. We will have booze and snacks to make your Saturday that much better.
Mykita on November 28th
Mykita has been ruling the the screwless hinge game since 2003! Laser cutting and the hand bending of each frame are just the start of Mykita’s effortless perfection. Clean lines and graceful shapes are where Mykita is at. Oh, and did we mention that they are dang near impossible to break?!
Our customer of the week this week is another pint-sized person…say yay yay for Mary Morris!!!
She came in for her very first eye exam and was so so so excited to hear that she needed glasses. She has an eye for style and was very sure about what she liked and didn’t like when she tried on frames. Anne et Valentin just came out with a new line of eyewear for children earlier this year, so Mary Morris had a lot of cheerful frames to choose from. Anne et Valentine’s glasses come a bunch of fun candy colors, some of the shapes are new and some are mini versions of their existing frames. Mary Morris tried on a few and quickly decided on a pretty pair of Mia frames in red and blue.
Mary Morris wanted to add a little something fun to her glasses and picked out a little Bijounette accessory by Caroline Abram that is shaped like a slice of cake to dangel off her new specs. If you feel like you want a little goodie for your frames you should come by and see our other treat charms.
We think she is just the cutest and that her glasses are a perfect fit for her personality (she dressed up to match her glasses when she came in to pick them up – seriously, we can’t get enough of this kid!)