Tag Archives: Theo

Filed under: Anne et Valentin, Caroline Abram, EVENTS!, Francis Klein, NEWS!, Niloca, Piero Massaro, Rapp, RES/REI, Theo, Unique Frame Lines

The January Sale is Here!

Written by on December 23rd 2017

2018-Jan-Sale

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.

Anne et Valetin, Theo, Niloca, and Francis Klein are just a few of the brands that will be on sale, so get here early to see everything!

The sale starts at 11am on Tuesday, Jan 2. See you there!

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Filed under: EVENTS!, Theo

Crazy Colorful Theo Trunk Show!

Written by on April 29th 2017

Who loves Theo? You do! So join us for the most colorful Theo trunk show yet on May 20 from 12-5pm!

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Theo is really bringing it this year with all of the great new shapes and vibrant colors that eyewear lovers have come to expect! 

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From show stopping acetates and to interlocking metals, there really is something for everyone. Come try on all of the new shapes and colors and pick out one…or two…or three for yourself!

kamasutra white/gold

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Filed under: NEWS!, Niloca, Theo

Eye Spy our Newest Optician: Debbi!!!

Written by on September 20th 2016

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!

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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!!)

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- 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!!!

music win winning stefon

- 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: EVENTS!, HEALTH!, Non-Profit of the Month, Theo

NPO of the Month: Peterson Garden Project!

Written by on May 27th 2016

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! 

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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. 

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 “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!

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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!

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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: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Theo

Customer Of The Week: Technicolor Dream Glasses!

Written by on March 2nd 2016

Say hi to Lizzie everyone! She is our most colorful Customer of the Week yet!

Seriously…Rainbow Brite’s got nothin’ on this girl!

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Lizzie is a breath of fresh air…if air were rainbow-colored with a touch of acid. Just think Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat…with more Technicolor.

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Lizzie was looking for some new specs to go with her already amazing rainbow wardrobe and heard that the Queen of Specs would have just what she needed at Eye Spy Optical.  Dazzled by all the amazing shapes and colors, Lizzie was in heaven the minute she walked in the door.  She looked around a bit and something caught her eye…but the Queen of Specs knew exactly what to show Lizzie: A neon yellow and pink limited edition Theo Mille+-4 frame.
Yellow Mille

It was almost as if that frame had been waiting for Lizzie to visit the shop. As Lizzie put the glowing glasses on, the Queen was not surprised…they were a perfect fit!

Lizzie declared that Eye Spy is “THE greatest optic shop I’ve ever known of. I’m a total convert; there’s no better place that suits my style” and the rest is history!

Let’s get to know Lizzie!

  1. What do you do for a living? I’m a college student (Biology major,) writer, fashion blogger, and multimedia artist. I’m preparing to enter a pre-med program at UICscience!
  2. How many glasses do you have? Only one Rx pair, but I want to expand my eyeglass wardrobe so I can coordinate with all of my outfits! I love my current pair; they fit so well into my style! I am eyeing a nice pair of custom Frances Klein glasses, however; luckily I know where to go! :)
  3. What is your astrological sign? I’m a Libra! I’ve interpreted my birth chart for fun and I have a lot of Aquarius influence as well! I suppose that accounts for the eccentricity.
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Vegan ice cream! At least I won’t run out of flavors. Though it would be nice to have french fries to dip in them…
  5. What is your beverage of choice? Every Slurpee flavor layered in a rainbow. None of the sugar-free flavors though; gotta keep the dentist in business!rainbow slurpee
  6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I absolutely love making or altering my clothing or accessories, skateboarding, drawing, studying medicine and psychology, playing music, and singing. I’ve had a DIY philosophy ever since I was little; I even dye and cut my own rainbow hair!
  7. What is your secret talent? I’m extremely observant, and I can keenly read people down to the smallest detail, despite being quite shy (even though I’m neon, I’m rather quiet!) I also have a great knowledge base of music, movies, TV, and fashion from decades before I was even born. It’s great because I can track cultural influences and origins down very quickly, and I’m certainly never bored! It also impresses people who are years my senior, who I often find I share more in common with than my peers!
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Ever since I was 10, so about 14 years. I went through contact lens phases, but mostly because I wanted 50 pairs of fashion glasses to swap out whenever I wanted. I think glasses look great, and rarely have I been seen without them since adulthood. (She is our kinda gal!)
  9. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? I’d love to swim for a whole day! That was all summer for me as a kid. My mom and grandma used to say I was “just like a fish,” because it was near-impossible to get me out of the water. I’m still the same, as long as the water’s warm enough.
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? I’m very open and honest about the immense variety of music I listen to, but I’d say “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sayer or “Holiday Road” by Lyndsay Buckingham. They may be a bit cheesy, but those harmonies get me every time.
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? San Francisco. I’m just another eccentric there, and I love it. It always reminds me of Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” quote in reference to this: ‘just another freak in the freak kingdom.’ It’s comforting.
  12. What is your favorite moment? Taking the subway to the Cook County Courthouse on Halloween to marry my husband, the only person I’ve ever fallen in love with. We wanted to do things in our own casual, offbeat way. My mom made a beautiful rainbow bouquet for me by hand, and our whole ceremony is on tape! Easily the most incredible event in my entire life. neon-brooch-bouquet-www-etsy-comshoplionsgatedesigns

Lizzie has a Tumblr blog where she posts fashion, videos, art and anything that inspires her: trashylvania.tumblr.com. 

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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Theo

Green Cat-Eye Glasses for our Customer of the Week!

Written by on January 13th 2016

New Year, New Unique Glasses!

Get ready to do the wave (yes people still do that!) in celebration of Karen, our Customer of the Week! Karen’s new specs are winners and so is she!!!

Karen in her colorful green Theo eyeglasses frames

New Glasses, Oh JOY!!!

It is a new year and we are happy to ring it in with a face you may recognize.  Karen has been a customer for ten years and is now a two time Customer of the Week winner! (Last time she got a particularly cool pair of  Gentle Monster frames.)

eye spy optical glasses, gentle monster frames

Karen is one smart cookie. She is a a businesswoman – she is the Founder and Executive Director at the Chicago Mosaic School, a teacher  – check out all the amazing classes over at CMS – you need a new hobby right?!? – and an amazing mosaic artist who has shown internationally in Italy, Japan and France (just to name just a few.)

chicago mosaic art by Karen Ami

Onward, 2015

Don’t let her impressive resume intimidate you…she is full of sass and you will probably find yourself laughing your face off if you spend any time with her.

Anne et Valentin and Theo eyeglasses frames. Custom colorful handmade

Karen has a love for funky eyeglasses and with the help of her trusted friend and optician, Patsy the Spex Wrangler, she always manages to leave Eye Spy Optical with a frame that fits her personality to a T.

green cat-eye glasses

 

This gorgeous Theo Mille+12 is the newest addition to her eyewear collection. We think they are a perfect pair for her frame wardrobe. Theo makes bold and chunky acetate glasses that make a statement.  The Mille+12’s structured cat-eye shape is modern and has all the right angles – and the color of this frame is to die for!

If you see Karen out and about ask her for her secret to winning COTW twice and find out where she is headed next. We guarantee you will love her as much as we do!

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Filed under: Shop Local. Shop Lincoln

Shop Local. Shop Lincoln: Pleasure Chest!

Written by on December 13th 2015

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.

Sarah Sloane, Manager at Pleasure Chest

Sarah is wearing a rockin’ pair of Theo Cinquante+6 in a the most amazing blue-green teal color that really brings out her eyes.  Structured cat-eyes are the perfect eye wear choice for women who are tired of boring rectangles, but don’t really feel like themselves in a dramatic cat-eye.

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Sarah is the marvelous manager at the Pleasure Chest – a boutique erotic store that opened it’s first store in the West Village, NYC in 1971, the height of the sexual revolution.  It set itself apart from the rest of the erotic stores out there with a welcoming and classy atmosphere, it was definitely not your usual seedy “XXX” sex shop with covered windows and creepy sales people.  They quickly grew and expanded in gay neighborhoods in Chicago and LA.

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Fun Facts About Sarah:

How long have you been in business? 7 years

Who was your teenage celebrity crush? Sarah Michelle Geller

If you could be any animal, what would it be? Red-Tail Hawk

Are you right or left handed? Right handed

What color are your eyes? Blue

Where did you grow up? Lake Villa, IL 

What hood do you live in now? Logan Square

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As the manager, Sarah and her staff help people explore their sexuality and relationships in a healthy way. Their store is welcoming and beautifully decorated – often called the “Saks 5th Ave” of erotic stores, putting even new customers at ease. “They create a powerful experience and trust where individuals can be successful in finding out what works in their lives. All of the staff employed at The Pleasure Chest is trained to be sensitive to the needs of our guests, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.”

Pleasure Chest * 3436 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago IL 60657 * 773-525-7151

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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Unique Frame Lines

Customer Of The Week

Written by on November 27th 2015

Help welcome 0ur new Customer of the Week – Colleen!!!

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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. AV GRIFFIN

Take a look at some of her other gorgeous glasses:

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Anne et Valentin Modern Love

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Theo Sixteen

Anne Et Valentin Fanzine

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

Non-Profit Org of the Month!

Written by on November 6th 2015

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.

womenemployedWomen 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. 

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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:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • WE works with community colleges across Illinois to improve support services that help students stay in school and graduate.

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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!

Learn more about them and ways that you can get involved by checking out their website and follow them on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest.

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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Mykita, SpexWax, Theo

November Trunk Shows!

Written by on October 28th 2015

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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.KROMA_1555 -

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.Spexwax (@spexwax) • Instagram photos and videos - Google Chrome_2015-10-24_17-26-01

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.theo new

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?!MYKITA - FLORENTINE - Google Chrome_2015-10-24_17-25-14

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