FREEBIE :: HERO Art Print - Father's Day Printables

   

Hello everyone and welcome to June!
 
Summer is here and so is the next holiday which is fast approaching: Father's Day . . . it's only a couple weeks away, can you believe it? Well I am here to help you out in preparing for the day by offering you a FREE printable that can be used to gift to that special father figure in your life. 

This hand lettered print was one of my free downloads a couple years ago for a stylized shoot I did with a brand but I thought I would bring it back and offer it again since you may not have been around the first time it was here. I love the patriotic feel to this one as it goes so well with the message here. How many people think of their dads or someone else as their 'hero'? Probably more than we think which is why this is perfect for dads, grandpas, military men AND women and anyone else that you view as a HERO!

So I give you this hand lettered print: 'Forever My HERO' art print!

But that's not all! ;)

As you can see here I also included an additional FREEBIE for you to enjoy . . . matching party flags! These can be used in your drinks and/or as food decor. Simply attach to a straw and insert in your fave beverage for the day. Or tape to a toothpick and adorn your piece of cake, dessert or your food at your gathering . . . anything you want to add a little 'eye candy' too!

Feel free to download your own 'Forever My HERO art print' and the Hero collection 'drink flags' to use in your drinks or for food decor! Please enjoy them as they give your celebration that added 'eye candy'!

**FREE printables are for personal use ONLY and may not be sold or claimed to be your design. By printing any freebies, you are agreeing to these terms.

 

Don't forget I also offer CUSTOM hand lettered prints, decor and anything else you would like hand lettering done on, just ask! Do you think you have a great idea? Just shoot me an email . . . at laura@eyecandycs.com and I'd love to chat with y'all!

What are YOUR plans for Father's Day? Will you maybe use these printables? 

 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here?

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

 

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!     

FREEBIE :: USA Art Print + table tents

     

I've got a special gift for you today! I have not one but two different freebies for you to download and use for your next party, ya know the ones where you celebrate the good 'ol U.S.A.! Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor day or any day where celebrating this country is on the menu! 

I have included an American art print . . . the U.S.A. art print to download that you can print out, frame and you will have instant party decor on your food or drink table. Then make sure to also print out the U.S.A. tabletents that you can use to let your guests know what you are serving up at your next BBQ or cookout! They both are free U.S.A. party decor freebies that you can download and enjoy! 

As you can see here, I used them to write in different drink options for my guests. One that was a cocktail and one that wasn't, as it helps to know what you are serving up to drink but you can also use these to label food options as well. 

Another idea would be to use these for placecards if you were wanting to separate people at a sit-down . . . ya know, if you need to do that sort of thing. ;) This will help make it not so obvious. lol Just write in their names after you print them out and no one will be guessing where to take a seat. 

You can download the USA Subway Art and the USA table tents & 
start enjoying them.

  **by clicking & downloading these freebies, you ARE agreeing to the RULES & copyright guidelines below! 

 

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RULES for FREE DOWNLOADS:

• Eye Candy Creative Studio printables are designed for my friends who FOLLOW me here at ECCS & for PERSONAL USE only. Please do not re-sell, re-distribute, or claim them as your own.
• I encourage you to share with your fans, friends, on your blog and all I ask is to PLEASE, {be kind} & post/ tag a link back to this website so I know who's enjoying them. Thanks - I appreciate it! =)
• And PLEASE do NOT remove the copyright mark - thanks!

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ONE thing I ask from you . . . . FREEBIES are designed for my friends who FOLLOW ME, so please become a fan of my FB page, Eye Candy Creative Studio, here or leave me a comment & follow my blog.

 Just let me me know that you downloaded this FREEBIE or just simply say hello. Let me know what you thought of this freebie! ;)

Feel free to share!

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or check out more designs in my Etsy shop! 

I would love for you to connect with me by email or become a blog follower too! {on the right sidebar}  Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

RECIPE :: Cincinnati Chili Dog + 5 BBQ Essentials

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatAGrillWants #CollectiveBias

Summertime is finally and officially here and to me that means the beginning of the grilling season. I love cooking on the grill and the many amazing creations you can whip up in the summertime that are made easier by grilling. To me, grilling just tastes better and there is definitely a freshness to it that you can not get cooking in your kitchen. My favorite thing about cooking out in the summer is the FOOD! There are so many options when grilling out and I love pairing up fun side dishes, yummy desserts and making it as elaborate or as simple as I want.

     

I love to entertain and I love to make any event into something fun even if it is a simple BBQ. I'm really into the whole 'less is more' lately, when planning a BBQ, a party or any event. Maybe I am finally learning to make it easier on myself , I don't now but it is so much easier when you shoot for simple. My motto now is 'make it simple, but make it memorable!' You can do both with just a few items. So I put together this simple "5 BBQ Essentials" for this summer. These are my must-haves to have some entertaining fun!

• Outdoor tableware items - all of the stores have super cute summer tableware items in stock right now, so grab a fun outdoor tablecloth, some plastic baskets, basket liners, glasses and a few summer decor items. Remember to coordinate them to pull your BBQ look together.

• Activities - plan to have a few activities to keep people entertained while they are waiting to eat or to do afterwards. Some of my faves are a fun bean bag toss game, horseshoes or grab the kids and color on the driveway with a new box of colored chalk! I particularly still enjoy that one! ;)

• Decor - find seasonal items that you can use for multiple occasions. For instance, I grabbed these stars and accordian fan decorations at Target about a month ago and can use them for Memorial Day, 4th of July, summer BBQs and also birthdays as the colors work well for all of them. I also like to pick up fun table items like little pinwheel picks to place in food or colored cups to put side dishes in when having a BBQ. Keep your eyes open for these type of items to have on hand.

• Drinks - I think the summer months bring out the best drink ideas. Maybe that's because they taste the best, right? ;) Serve up your favorite cocktails and mocktails or if we are keeping up with the simple theme, grab some fun drinks at the grocery to enjoy with your BBQ. Just choose various colors to add some pop, to your decor.

• Food - as we all know, planning a BBQ can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. For this post, I went super simple to prove it can be done. I decided on a simple regional hot dog recipe (which I will share in a minute), grabbed some cole slaw, a bag of chips and pre-made desserts! What? Yup my goal was to not make a thing. Aside from chopping an onion, heating up the chili and grilling the dogs, I managed to do it! ;)

I would be curious if any of you have your own regional hot dog recipe. Ours has been around for as long as I can remember and it is definitely a fave in this area! 

Here is the super easy recipe for the Cincinnati Chili style Hot Dog:
you will need hot dog buns, hot dogs, Cincinnati style chili, shredded cheddar cheese, mustard and chopped onions.
(The combination of franks and these toppings may not be Kosher.)

Step 1: place a hot dog, I am using Hebrew National hot dogs here, on the bun

Step 2: top with the prepared Cincinnati style chili

Step 3: add mustard

Step 4: add a heaping mound of the shredded cheddar cheese and trust me, the MORE, the better! AND once you add some more, go ahead and add even more! That's how we roll with our dawgs! ;)

Step 5: finish off with some diced onions
(The combination of franks and these toppings may not be Kosher.)

I picked up all of the ingredients for this at my local Kroger but I am sure you can find them at most places. However right now you can save up to $2 on Hebrew National products at Kroger and Kroger banner stores this summer, so grab them up. I picked up the Beef Franks and the Reduced Fat Beef Franks as they are a premium cut of beef. They also have Bun-Length Beef Franks available if you'd like those. All varieties do not contain fillers, corn syrup, artificial coloring, flavors or by-product. Good to know right?

If you liked this recipe, you can also check out even more recipes at Hebrew National hot dogs on their Facebook page.

What recipe have you whipped up using Hebrew National hot dogs? Please comment below and share how you top yours . . .

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

WEDDING :: All AMERICAN red, white & blue Inspiration Board

Hello everyone & welcome to "Wedding Wednesday"!

 ::  bride  ::  cake  ::  brownie bites  ::  boutonniere  ::  bow tie   
::  pompoms  ::  snow cones   ::  candles  ::   straw flags  ::  cocktail

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Today I am bringing you some All-American RED, WHITE & BLUE wedding eye candy just in time for the 4th of July!!! Time to celebrate with a patriotic vibe & honor our great country!

Celebrating with the traditional colors of our country can be fun & there are a ton of ideas that you can do. From a backyard BBQ with snow cones & sparklers to a more traditional party with a 3-tier cake & cocktail hour!

Have you ever planned a party with this color scheme? I have & it does make for a great trio of colors for your next party or event. You can guarantee these colors to set the tone for fun! 

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Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 
 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

 

{HOW-TO} Make a Grass Skirt Garland

     

How-to Make a grass skirt garland!

This is the PERFECT garland for your summer luaus & is so SIMPLE & EASY to make! Now this was one of those ideas that just "hit me" when I was out purchasing supplies for a party & it just comes together (kinda like 'magic' - heehee) I don't know . . .  I think it turned out pretty cool - what do you think?

Supplies you will need & the "how-to":

1. head on over to The Dollar Tree & pick up 1 pack of red 'goodie' bags

& 1 pack of blue 'goodie' bags 

(they came 10 in a pack so I figured that would be plenty long enough)
2. while you are still at the Dollar Tree pick up an extra grass skirt to use specifically for this garland

3. the 1st thing I did was, using my paper hole punch, punched holes in both sides of the paper bags towards the top . . .say about an inch down

4.get out that glue gun & fire her up!

5. I printed out the 4" circles from the Americana Luau collection,

cut them out & glued them to only about a third of the bags 

(you decide how many you would like & then print the appropriate amount)

6. I then took the 'extra' grass skirt & a pair of scissors & determined how 'long' I wanted the 'skirt' to be hanging off the bags . . .I believe I did about 12 in. & then just cut that length off the skirt to glue to the bags

7. open up one of the paper bags & turn it upside down, run the hot glue gun all around the edges (on the inside bottom) & adhere the grass skirt pieces until you achieve the 'look' you want

** a couple tips on this - you WILL get your fingers glued.

I would advise doing 1 side at a time with the gluing as if you are like me, I had to be particular as to lining up the pieces of the 'skirt' just so! =)

8. continue gluing the 'skirt' to the bottom of all your paper bags until you have done them all

9. I used just a long piece of white curling ribbon to "thread" through all of the garland bags (where you put the hole punches) until they were all hanging on the ribbon

10. that's IT! Again . . .a FUN, festive-looking DIY decor that was $4

Want to see MORE pics from this party? Check out the Americana Luau we had for Memorial Day - such a fun idea!

What fun party decor item have you come up with lately? 
Are you having a luau this summer? I would love to know . . .