Filed under: NEWS!, Niloca, Theo
You may have seen a new face around here lately…and that face belongs to our new optician, Debbi, the Glasses Guru. Debbi has over 17 years of experience and she sure knows her stuff! She is a wiz at adjustments – she will get your glasses sitting pretty on your face in no time – she hasn’t met a frame she could bend back into shape yet!
We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her:
- How many glasses do you own?
1 optical and 1 sun! (She gave away all her sunnies – this lady has a heart of gold! But, don’t you worry, she will become a glasses addict in NO time!!)
- Do you have a hobby?
I cook, swim, and love shopping – especially for kitchen wear (perhaps due to the fact that her mom has a catering business).
- There’s an EARTHQUAKE! and you can only save 3 things from the gaping hole forming under your apartment, what do you scoop up?
Photo albums, my journal, and of course, my prized possession – my beautiful, brick red KitchenAid mixer.
- What catches your eye at Eye Spy?
The neon yellow Niloca Clockwork frame….and the Theo Mille+26 in fluorescent red….as seen in the above photo:-)
- If you could be any mystical person/creature who/what would it be?
A unicorn with wings – they are so powerful and beautiful…and I could fly!
- Do you have a hidden talent?
I am a wiz at useless trivia…and don’t even get me started with old R&B!!!
- Tell us something that most people don’t know about you.
I grew up on a farm with 30 dogs. (Whoa!!!)
Debbi is extremely patient, easy-going, and great at picking out spectacular specs…and we are sure you will think so too! Come by the store, say hi, and introduce yourself; She is excited to meet all of our fabulous customers:-)
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Filed under: NEWS!, Niloca, Theo
Dr. Catherine Liu comes to us from Vegas and while she isn’t a fan of the cold weather, she does LOVE Chicago’s food scene. Her fav restaurants include Zaytune Mediterranean Grill, Pleasant House, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and all the breakfast delights at Batter & Berries.
As a kid, she dreamed about becoming a basketball player, but as it turns out, there isn’t as much demand for 5’1.5″ pro players:-( She now imagines a life full of chickens, greyhound dogs, travel to far and distant lands and the perfect pair of teal glasses.
One of her most beloved places on the planet is a small farm in England where she attended a cooking school, lived an idyllic life picking veggies and became “one with the land.”
When we met Dr. Catherine this past summer, she was in-town to run a half marathon…and was able to swing by the shop beforehand. We were impressed by her knowledge and experience with a variety of speciality contact lenses. We were also happy to hear of her similar views on spending significant time with each patient in order to provide a comprehensive and thorough eye exam.
She is eager to meet our spectacular customers and provide an eye-opening exam experience! She has also fallen in love with the Theo and Nilcoa eyewear that we selected for her in the above pictures;-)
Feel free to read more about Dr. Catherine’s professional experience here, stop by to meet her on Thursdays and Saturdays …and schedule your next eye exam here!
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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: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Rapp
She’s got style, she’s got grace, she’s a winner…
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
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
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Filed under: Caroline Abram, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!
Customer of the Week: New glasses, new look!
Ladies and Gentlemen…I don’t know if you are prepared for this week’s Customer of the Week. Really, you may want to take a seat because I am about to blow your minds….
You ready? Ok! Help me welcome Clint and his amazing new specs to the COTW club!
Isn’t he handsome in his new frames? I know – you need to catch your breath. But wait! There is more…
This is a picture of him in 2009!!!!
What a transformation! While Clint’s LaFont frames were a great pick back then, we think that his new Jeremi frame from Caroline Abram is a great update and looks amazing with his new devil-may-care look.
The tortoise details on the front of the frame and the temples soften the black and make this frame anything but boring!
If you are feeling inspired by Clint’s makeover, get over here and we will be happy to help you find a great new frame for your fabulous face!
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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: EVENTS!, HEALTH!, Non-Profit of the Month, Theo
Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization that we admire. This month we are working with Peterson Garden Project and will be donating 3% of our sales from the Theo Trunk Show on June 4th!
In 2010, LaManda Joy started her first organic community garden in a vacant lot on Peterson Ave – a lot that in the 1940’s had been one of the many Victory Gardens that flourished throughout Chicago at the time. Since then, Peterson Garden Project has flourished and there are now community gardens all over Chicago, but what is even more important to LaManda is that her organization has taught hundreds of new gardeners how to grow nutritious food in their own neighborhoods.
Peterson Garden Project’s mission is to recruit, educate and inspire a new generation of gardeners who want to gain control of their food supply, grow their own produce organically, and make urban gardening the norm-not the exception.
“Learning together in the garden, and kitchen, does much more than put fresh, nutritious food on the table. It helps build stronger communities, connect us to cultural heritage, improve public health and create a more sustainable, resilient city.”
Peterson Garden Project isn’t just about gardening:
- Their community cooking school that offers classes and workshops about variety of ethnic cuisines and food cultures which draws upon the diverse backgrounds of the project’s membership. Check out their calendar for upcoming classes like Demystifying Masala: The Secret to Indian Spice Blends on June 2.
- Grow2Give is their volunteer-run program that provides local food pantries and other organizations with donated produce grown in the gardens.
- Senior/Senior, Kids in the Kitchen and Fresh Fridays are free programs geared at educating kids and seniors alike about nutrition and the joys of cooking.
Get Involved!
Go to a tea party! Peterson Garden Project is hosting a Mad Tea Party/fundraiser on June 12 at their Vedgewater Garden. Put on your finest or zaniest tea party attire and help keep the project going!
Get your hands dirty! There are still plots available at some of their community gardens, so sign up, attend an orientation meeting and grow some delicious organic veggies of your own.
Try on some new specs! Come to our Theo Trunk Show on June 4th and pick up a beautiful new pair of glasses – 3% our sales will be donated to Peterson Garden Project!
Peterson Garden Project continues to grow and there are plenty of ways to get involved – take a look at their Website, Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all of the latest gardening news!
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Filed under: EVENTS!, Non-Profit of the Month, Theo
How can we describe how much we love Theo??
With a few photos and by the simple fact that it is Theo that made us fall in love with eyewear. Pure fun, great design and decidedly different.
Along with the current collection of Theo in every color of the rainbow, we are honoring Theo’s Flemish heritage. Theo is designed and made in Belgium….so we are supplying fine beer and chocolates.
The beer comes by way of our neighbor, Bitter Pops, and the chocolate by way of Katherine Anne Confections in Logan Square.
As is our tradition to donate to a non-profit every month, we are supporting the Peterson Garden Project this month, with a percentage of our sales from the Theo Trunk Show:-)
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