Happy New Year! It is time to celebrate new beginnings and we can’t think of a better way to start 2018 than with a gorgeous new pair of glasses. Oh wait…yes we can…a new pair of glasses that you picked up for a steal of a deal! With discounts that start at 25% and go all the way up to 75% off, it will be hard to get just one pair!
This is a great time to refresh your look with new eyewear, pick up that bold 2nd pair you have been dreaming about or get those computer glasses you have been thinking about for ages.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
Join us on October 17th from 11-5 pm for lots of golden goodies!
First, try your luck in finding the golden ticket, Willy Wonka style! Prizes and discounts will be inside each wrapper. It might not be a trip to the chocolate factory, but it will totally be worth it!!
Gold Plaited will be braiding your hair in magical ways from 12-2pm! Just take a gander at these outstanding braids….
Next up, the snacks! We will have a delish boozy gold-flecked bundt cake by Wilder Cakes and the Design Maven also will be brewing some golden sangria…and she’s a bit heavy-handed, so watch out:)
For the kids and kids-at-heart, add some flash to your day with a golden temporary tattoo
And for the grand finale….a golden gift, straight from the Parisian flea market, will be given to each person that makes a purchase on our golden birthday!!
We hope to see your gorgeous faces on Saturday, October 17th from 11-5 pm!! The braid bar is 12-2pm!
Maybe we can even convince the Specs Wrangler to do a funny dance, maybe…
Hi all! These truly are the dog days of summer, so we chose our wonderful customer Victoria and her cute pup, Splash, for our Customer Of The Week!
At Eye Spy Optical we LOVE glasses and we LOVE dogs, so when Victoria came in to pick up her new glasses and brought along her furry little friend, we were thrilled and HAD to have a picture of both of them!
Victoria has been a customer for a few years now and on her last trip here, she picked up 2 pairs – first, a gorgeous pair of claret red and minty green Anne et Valentin Minilook. The more traditional shape makes these are perfect for professional settings but have that gorgeous color that looks so great with Victoria’s coloring.
She also decided on a pair of Francis Klein Club frames with a floral silk print. We love how light and easy-going this pair is – perfect for summer garden parties and brunching outside!
Victoria is happy with her new summer frames and Splash gives her paw of approval to both pairs!
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.
Heather Miller, Owner of Black Hearts Hair House
Heather is wearing Francis Klein Kristy in sparkly leopard print…need we say more?
Ever since she was a little girl, Heather Miller has been passionate about hair—from cutting her dolls’ hair, to styling all of her friend’s updos for prom, to dorm room hair color adventures; there has always been a constant: she has known that a hair salon—more specifically, her own salon– is where she belongs. After completing her certification at Pivot Point, she gained further education along with a blossoming clientele through the punk/alternative hair salons that Chicago has to offer. Her years of knowledge & experience paid off when the doors of Black Hearts Hair House in November 2008.
Since 2008, she has morphed the space on Lincoln Avenue with the help of her talented staff of professionals into her dream of an alternative boutique salon that is able to accommodate a variety of clients–no matter what their budget is or if they want subtle blonde highlights or a bright, purple Mohawk–and always providing them with the upscale environment and service they all deserve.
This week is a little bit special because our Customer of The Week is someone who has been working for Eye Spy for 10 years! Say Hello to Karla!
Karla is always dressed for fun and when she saw the Francis Klein Royal sunnies, she had to catch her breath. And can you blame her? They must have been designed with Karla in mind! Karla will look great at all of her three (yes I said three!) jobs – a shoe store, a jewelry store and for us!
To say Karla is a bit of a fashionista is an understatement. She is a pro at mixing patterns, textures and colors… so what could be better than sunglasses with a dash of fun, a spinkle of sass and a heap of glitter!
Yep, it is Customer of The Week time again. Wiggle your spirit fingers in the air for….Heather!
Heather’s first visit to our store was a couple of January’s ago. She drove all the way from Indianapolis, Indiana so she could look at our sale frames and was blown away by the amazing selection of fun and funky frames. From that moment on, she was a customer for life!
She has made the pilgrimage to our shop a several times since (bringing friends!) and has collected a wardrobe of truly spectacular eyewear.
On her most recent trip, she picked up a couple of gorgeous frames.
Francis Klein Opera was part of our January sale, and called out to Heather the moment she opened the door. Sparkly crystals and silver studs are pretty hard to say no to, especially when paired with a flirty cat-eye shape.
When she came in to pick up her Francis Klein, she fell in lust with a pair of striking Rigards buffalo horn sunglasses. But she decided she wanted to be able to wear them all day every day, and had us put clear lenses in them. We couldn’t love them more! We love it when customers customize a frame – with a special color, or a special lens – and make the frame truly their own.
We know, you are feeling a little jealous..but don’t worry, there are still plenty of cool specs left for you to take home!
