How To Create a Wildflower Centerpiece and A Family Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Okay, I think that was the longest blog post title in the history of blogland!

Happy Monday friends! Did you guys have a happy Halloween?

We had a great one but I’m ready to pack up the spooky decor and move back into fall and Thanksgiving. Which is fitting because today is the opening day of the Blogger Stylin’ Home Tours: Thanksgiving Edition!!!

There are some amazing bloggers here to show you their Thanksgiving tables and a look into how they spend the holiday!

If you are visiting from Eclectically Vintage, welcome, I’m glad you’re here! Isn’t Kelly’s home awesome?!?!

And a BIG thanks to our lovely host, Lindsay of The White Buffalo Styling Co. Lindsay kills it in the style department so make sure to give her a shout!

We are having some really great fall weather here in NC this year and we’ve really been enjoying being outside. I went on a run a couple weeks ago (um, and I don’t think I’ve ran since) and saw so many pretty wildflowers growing along the path. I knew I didn’t want to spend much money decorating my table so I thought clipping some flowers and natural greenery would be perfect!

How To Decorate With Wildflowers and Natural Greenery:

Grab a bag and some garden shears or scissors and find an area with a varied amount of plants like a running trail. Don’t clip flowers in your neighborhood, highways or any environmentally protected plants, lol.

I knew we had lots of these yellow flowers growing so I decided they would be the focal point.

Once you’ve gathered your flowers lay them out so you can see what you have. Start filling your vase with the largest ones first and then add greenery and finally the smallest plants.

That’s it!

My son and I picked them together so we got to take a long walk and talk about all the plants and animals we saw. We sure found unique ones that’s for sure!

I love how they look in the white HomeGoods vase? I also added a few pheasant feathers we had from our earlier fall tour.

These are my favorite DIY candles and hostess gifts. They are tapered candles from the dollar store and I spray painted the gold stripes. You can see the tutorial here.

Faux fur is my obsession this season and I used a piece of fabric that I had from another project for the table runner. I love the unique texture and coziness it adds to the setting.

I painted the confetti wine glasses with a gold paint pen and after baking them in the oven they are completely dishwasher safe! These are also a great hostess gift especially since I picked up the stemless glasses from the dollar spot at Target!

The gold pinecones are left over from last year. We found them in my mom’s neighborhood and spray painted them gold.

There you have it! An easy and completely FREE table for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations! I’m pretty proud of myself because I didn’t buy anything specifically for this table setting. All the dishes, glasses, etc. I already had.

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought it would be appropriate to share one of our beloved family recipes with you too.

Let me just start by saying there is always some drama in our family surrounding the turkey. I mean, burned turkey, forgetting to remove the bag inside before cooking, cooking a pre-cooked turkey all over again ~ you name it we’ve done it. BUT, we kill it with the sides so it’s not really a big deal (for me) if the bird isn’t the focus of the feast :)

I hope you enjoy this! Everywhere I go I try other sweet potato casseroles and I’ve never found one that compares. The key ingredient for me is the coconut but if you don’t dig it leave it out and it’s just as good!

HOGAN FAMILY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE RECIPE

Filling:

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed (about 3 medium sized potatoes; I poke holes in mine and wrap them in plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes and they are perfect )

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. self-rising flour

1/2 c. coconut flakes

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients for the filling together in a large bowl and pour into a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish. Mix the topping ingredients together and spread on top of the filling. Bake on 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

I’m not really sure how you take pics of a casserole and make it look pretty but here goes nothing :)

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That’s a wrap for the tour today y’all but you’ve got an exciting week filled with gorgeous tables and family celebrations so make sure to start with Emily of Jones Design Company tomorrow morning!

And here is the complete schedule. You’re not going to want to miss a stop!

MONDAY:

o   The White Buffalo Styling Co.

o   Burlap & Lace

o   Run to Radiance

o   Eclectically Vintage

o  Simple Stylings

TUESDAY:

o   Jones Design Company

o   brittanyMakes

o   Primitive & Proper

o   Charming in Charlotte

WEDNESDAY:

o   Southern Hospitality

o   My Fabuless Life

o   Dwellings by Devore

o   Rain on a Tin Roof

o   Dimples & Tangles

THURSDAY:

o   Number Fifty-three

o   DIY Playbook

o   Sand & Sisal

o   This, That, & Life

FRIDAY:

o   Tatertots & Jello

o   Julie Blanner

o   Fieldstone Hill

o   The Chronicles of Home

o   Finding Home

LINKING UP:

Avery Street Design Blog // Dimples & Tangles //

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Check out my Fall Home Tour

and last years Christmas Tour