Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Francis Klein, RES/REI, Theo
It’s that magical time of year again! Trunk Show month at Eye Spy! Every Saturday in November! We’ve got all of our favorite lines scheduled to make an appearance! Check out the line up below!
Saturday, November 5th: Francis Klein
Dixie, Francis Klein’s daughter, is flying in from Paris with her bags full of their gorgeous and glittery new 2017 collection. Select your favorite shape, stones & colors and have a custom sparkly pair made just for you!
Saturday, November 12th: Anne et Valentin
Anne et Valentin’s Spring 2017 collection is full of pretty surprises. Easy to wear shapes are mixed with fantastic colors and materials. Anne et Valentin is doing what they do best – which is why they are always a favorite.
Saturday, November 19th: Theo
Theo never disappoints, and this year is no exception! Bright colors and modern graphic shapes aplenty, the 2017 collection is full of fun and surprises! Their new asymmetrical EyeWitness series is a play on “connect the dots” and is certainly a Must See for anyone who is looking for something a bit out-of-the-ordinary.
Saturday, November 26th: Double-Header:
Res/Rei and Kirk & Kirk
Res/Rei is known for its superb quality and deceptively simple designs. Made in Italy, its craftsmanship really shines. Beautiful color combinations that are easy to wear, and soft shapes that flatter both men and women are the hallmark of Res/Rei.
And last but not least…introducing Kirk & Kirk Kaleidoscope! Funky shapes and colors so good you might want to eat them, are what Kirk & Kirk are all about. We promise that if you try them on, you will want one, or two, or three for yourself!
For a private showing on the Sunday following each show, call us at 773.477.2670 or email us at [optician at eyespyoptical.com] for an appointment.
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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: Anne et Valentin, Anni Shades, Caroline Abram, EVENTS!, February 31st, Francis Klein, Gentle Monster, Kaenon, Niloca, Oliver Goldsmith, Rapp, RES/REI, Rigards, Spectacular Sunglasses, Super, Theo, Thierry Lasry, Unique Frame Lines
We are getting ready for our AUGUST SUNGLASS SALE !! Once a year, we round up all of our sunglasses, and go a little bananas on the discounts.
All sunglasses are on sale from the beginning to the very end of the month! Come by and take advantage of discounts from 10-75% off of almost every pair of sunglasses in the store. Yowza! Just to add to the crazy of the sale, we have also put a a few of our eyeglasses lines on sale for 25% to 75% off!
Come by and let us fit you with lovely sunnies to enjoy for the rest of the summer… and throughout the winter!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!
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?
We love Melissa and her syrups so much that we invited her to join us for our Anne et Valentin Trunk Show in May with a variety of boozy snow cones featuring hand-shaved ice, her delightful syrups, and a splash of alcohol and at our upcoming pop-up at the Randolph St. Market Festival on Sunday July 28th!
Let’s get to know Melissa!
- 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 @Josnowsyrups and go like her page on Facebook – Jo Snow Syrups.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein, RES/REI
We have a Two-For-One Special on Customer of the Week in Aisle 4!
Seth and his lovely wife Minglei wandered into Eye Spy a few weeks ago to select some new frames and we were completely charmed. We knew they just HAD to be featured as our Customers of the Week! Put your hands in the air and wiggle those jazz hands for Seth and Minglei!
Minglei needed a couple of frames – one for her distance vision and one for her reading. She loves cat-eye frames, so she got a beautiful tortoise Francis Klein Aries frame that really shows off her eyes and is a beautiful shape on her. We love the sexy secretary look of her Res/Rei Giulia frame – perfect for reading!
Seth picked out one of Anne et Valentin’s newer frames, On The Wave in a shade of green that perfectly complements his eyes.
Let’s Get to Know Minglei and Seth!
Ladies first…Minglei:
- What do you do for a living? I work for a charitable foundation. I also manage Chicago Art Deco Society’s Facebook page.
- How many glasses do you have? Three
- What is your astrological sign? Libra
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Noodle soups!
- What is your beverage of choice? Just water
- Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I study fashion and architecture, and I love to read mystery novels.
- What is your secret talent? I can do some ballet.
- How long have you been wearing glasses? About 20 years.
- Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Tap!
- What is your guilty pleasure song? “Beat It” by Michael Jackson
- What is your favorite place on earth? Chicago
- What is your favorite moment? The first warm day after my first winter in Chicago.
You can find some of Minglei’s posts for the Chicago Art Deco Society on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chicagodeco/
And now Seth!
- What do you do for a living? I’m a health care policy expert working in the big data space.
- How many glasses do you have? Two pairs.
- What is your astrological sign? Tiger
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Chinese noodle soup
- What is your beverage of choice? Dark Matter coffee
- Do you have a hobby? I’m active in community service as a director of Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR), a downtown neighborhood association serving the residents and businesses of Streeterville since 1975.
- What is your secret talent? I am a certificated pilot, but I usually just take the bus.
- How long have you been wearing glasses? Ever since all overhead projectors started going out of focus at the same time – I wonder why?
- Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Prefer something lazier
- What is your guilty pleasure song? “Fat” by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
- What is your favorite place on earth? Downtown Chicago (when ambulance sirens aren’t blaring too loud)
- What is your favorite moment? The first time I stepped on a brand new, totally clean L car
Check out all of the latest and greatest going on in Streeterville at soarchicago.org
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Non-Profit of the Month
Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization that we admire. May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month and we are thrilled to be working with the American Brain Tumor Association.
The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) was founded in 1973 in Chicago and has funded almost $30 million in brain tumor research. They are committed to helping people of all age ranges and with all types of brain tumors through funding research, publishing educational materials and providing training to health care professionals. The ABTA is committed to “the goals of improving, extending and, ultimately, saving the lives of those impacted by a brain tumor diagnosis.”
About Brain Tumors
• There are nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. living with a primary brain and central nervous system tumor.
• Nearly 78,000 new cases of primary brain tumors will be diagnosed this year.
• Approximately 4,600 children ages 0 – 19 will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor this year.
• Malignant brain tumors are the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 and the most common cancer occurring among 15-19 year olds.
How can you help?
Come to our week long Anne et Valentin Pop-up Shop starting on May 14th from 12-5pm at Eye Spy Optical and find a gorgeous new pair of eyeglasses (or two!) – we will be donating a percentage of our sales from the pop-up shop! You can also take a look at their website and and like their facebook page to keep up with their latest news, for resources for you and your loved ones who have brain tumors, and to find out how you can volunteer your time.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!
It is our lucky week!! The day after Friday, May 13th, we will be having an Anne et Valentin Pop-up Shop all-week long…beginning on Saturday the 14th from 11-5pm. With their newest releases *and* all of the styles and colors in their current collection, it’s going to be amazing!!
Continuing our lucky streak, Anne et Valentin introduced a ton of purple into their new and current collection! They must have read our mind…or just finally listened to us;-)
BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE!!!
With every purchase of an Anne et Valentin frame and prescription lenses during the pop-up shop, we will throw in FREE, yes FREE, anti-reflective coating…which is usually $125!!
The Pop-Up Shop continues for a week until Saturday, May 21st at 3pm and culminates in a Grand Cirque de Printemps at Eye Spy until 6pm…or whenever we feel like kicking you out:-)
For our French-circus themed soiree, JoSnow will be joining us to provide boozy snow cones! No circus is complete without cotton candy, caramel corn…and accordion music!!
As you know, each month we donate a portion of sales from our event to a local non-profit organization. May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month and we are thrilled to be working with the American Brain Tumor Association.
A bientot!! In other words, see you soon!!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!
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.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Unique Frame Lines
Help welcome 0ur new Customer of the Week – Colleen!!!
Colleen has been buying her glasses from Eye Spy since 2011 and has collected a diverse wardrobe of frames to adorn her face.
Colleen’s newest eyeglasses frame is a gorgeous Anne et Valentin Griffin frame in a beautiful turquoise and chocolate brown. This frame is so great on her – it frames her eyes perfectly and the matte color is so rich and pretty. The turquoise really makes her eyes pop and the brown brings some warmth to her complexion. 
Take a look at some of her other gorgeous glasses:
Anne et Valentin Modern Love
Theo Sixteen
Anne et Valentin Fanzine
It is clear that Colleen likes to mix it up, switching between acetate and metal frames depending on her mood and her outfit for the day. She also has a great selection of colors! We think her newest frame brings a nice modern feeling to her collection.
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Mykita, Non-Profit of the Month, SpexWax, Theo
You may not know this but the Queen of Specs, Alissa, is a woman and a small business owner!!! Gasp! And all of the lovely folks workin’ at Eye Spy Optical these day are also women! So you might not be surprised to find out that Alissa is totally into supporting women’s businesses and issues. Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization. This month we are excited to be working with Women Employed.
Women Employed is a fantastic organization and was founded in 1973 with the mission to “improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity.” They are focused on addressing issues that impact women in low paying jobs like paid sick-leave, fairness in the workplace, stable schedules, living wages etc.
This is a group of hard-working people who are dedicated to helping women succeed in life and removing major barriers that can get in the way of that.
Some of the awesome accomplishments that Women Employed have achieved in the last 5 years:
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As the leading advocate for state-funded tuition assistance in Illinois, WE prevents deep cuts to those investments in the face of the state’s fiscal crisis.
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WE leads a growing campaign to raise the minimum wage in Illinois and collaborates with national groups to win an increase at the federal level.
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WE wins commitments from state leaders to implement “bridge programs” that help low-skilled adults advance to college-level courses in their chosen career fields.
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WE works with community colleges across Illinois to improve support services that help students stay in school and graduate.
Help us support Women Employed’s mission to assure that “All women are treated fairly in the workplace, are able to attain the skills they need for the jobs they want, and are respected for the work they do.”
We will be donating a portion of our sales at our trunk shows this month, so stop in and check out our fabulous glasses and help suport a great Chicago oranization!
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