Every November, Chris and I look forward to the Norman Childs sale at Pittsburgh's local chain, Eyetique. There are a bunch of locations in nearby neighborhoods and malls, but for the sake of East End convenience we tend to stick with the Shadyside store. The space is small but efficient, lined with mirrors, and a comfy bench seat. Its proximity to the Apple Store also means that when we make Genius Bar appointments, we fold in time to browse the selection of frames.
We favor the Norman Childs brand because of its commitment to quality. Sure, they are not as affordable as some brands, but each pair is carefully designed and made in the US. And it feels great to support a local designer who has had national and international success.
I've worn glasses since second grade. I remember feeling pretty proud of my giant red plastic "Sally Jesse Raphael"/Becca from "Life Goes On" frames in the later years of grade school. And by middle school, I added contacts to my repertoire. I never stopped enjoying the process of shopping for new glasses. If anything, contacts made it easier to see how I looked in different styles, despite my bad vision.
On the day I ultimately went into labor, Chris and I decided to check out the sale. We had a fancy brunch at Meat and Potatoes, downtown. And we had a few errands to run before my mom came over to help me set up our holiday decor and organize the nursery. We stopped to check out the sale along the way. Chris and I both selected new glasses and didn't realize that when we would go to pick them up, we would have a new baby (who will likely need to wear glasses of her own some day)! Above is our in-store family photo. I'll never forget my "labor day" and my new glasses serve as a fun reminder of it.
