Each Tuesday on Vision Monday’s social media accounts, we find cute optical themed clothing items, accessories and everything in between to share with you all. Now, it seems that we’ve hit a treasure trove of optical-themed merchandise with EyeLoveLifeDesigns, crafted by Ashley Nickell, OD.

Nickell, a recent optometry school graduate who is currently completing her residency in Pediatric Optometry and Vision Therapy in Southern California, started EyeLoveLifeDesigns back in December 2017.

“I made a few coffee mugs for friends as gifts for the holidays, and the idea just took off from there,” she said.

Just like many of you, Nickell is always on the hunt for trendy optical themed merchandise, and that’s really what prompted her to start her brand and product line.

“Just like many of my fellow colleagues, I am always on the hunt for cute eyeglasses themed products,” Nickell said. “It’s always a win when I come across something online or in stores. I figured why not just make some of my own products? And, having the ability to customize the items makes it more personal, whether it’s for yourself or a gift for someone else.”

Nickell thinks of this creative outlet as the ideal balance to her life, and she creates each piece herself from the concept to the finished product. Although she has a variety of products available on her Etsy store, there's a concentration of coffee mugs and wine glasses to choose from which she says are her most popular items by far.

“I love coffee, and I love wine. It just seemed right to create products involving coffee mugs and wine glasses.”

While EyeLoveLifeDesigns is less than a year old and continues to grow, Nickell has leveraged Instagram to market and promote her products as well as network with others in the industry.
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“I’ve been able to meet and collaborate with current optometry students and fellow ODs to host giveaways of EyeLoveLifeDesigns’ products which are sometimes used to help promote programs, such as Optometry Club meetings or an Instagram Trivia Series. Instagram also allows me to be creative with photography and product promotion which has been a lot of fun.”

  

In the future, Nickell hopes to continue growing her brand and product line, but her real goal is to continue to collaborate more with her fellow colleagues through this process. She views her Etsy store as vein of possibility.
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“It’s a great reminder that a simple idea, hard work and passion can result in something great. I love that I can connect and share my love of optometry with others in this way.”