This post is sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Candles.

I've spent a lot of time focusing on our living room, because that's the space in our house that we spend the most time in and also because it's the first thing you see when you walk in. I love greeting guests with a tidy and well-designed area to relax, but lately I've been feeling an itch to give our bedroom the same amount of love and attention that I've bestowed upon our living room.

It is, after all, where we begin and end each day, so shouldn't it be just as nice as the places in your house that everyone sees? That's always been my excuse--our bedroom can be busy because only Rob and I ever see it, but there's nothing worse than waking up to a cluttered bedroom.

When Rob and I got married and registered for gifts, we made a conscious decision to do all white linens for our bedroom and bathroom. Our furniture is all white, so I figured having a white bed and towels would make it easy to mix things up later with colorful details. We've actually stuck to a neutral pallet and I like it that way--it's very calming and a nice escape when you need to relax.

I was so excited when Chesapeake Bay Candle contacted me to work on a post with them because I've always loved incorporating candles into my decor, and these ones are really special. I thought I'd start the long process of decluttering and styling with a tiny little piece--my nightstand. Nothing says "home sweet home" to me more than a nice candle and some fresh flowers, so I cleaned off the surface that had been holding onto a collection of water glasses and phone/computer chargers and replaced them with Chesapeake Bay's Balance + Harmony candle (it smells like waterlilies and pear and has orange essential oil!) and a cocktail glass full of white roses, which I placed on top of a stack of books I pulled from my bookcase to match the lovely aqua jar of the candle.

Here are the other candles Chesapeake Bay sent me to infuse my home with little moments of stillness and tranquility!

• Focus + Patience: Has a fragrance of tobacco cedar. Any candle with tobacco notes is definitely a winner for me. This one is going on my desk for sure.

• Love + Passion: I’m a big fan of the color of this jar, and the grapefruit mango scent is perfect for the kitchen.

• Strength + Energy: This one is really nice, with notes of bergamot (one of my all-time favorite fragrances) and verbena. I’m going to put this one on my coffee table.

I love it when something as simple as a candle inspires me to put the finishing touches on the space around me. I love the minimalistic design and the not-too-powerful fragrances that come from the candles. All the scents come in different colored jars, but they’re frosted and on the lighter side, so they will fit into your home no matter your style. And, as I’m sure you can imagine from some of the images in this post, they are Ender Peterson approved.

Now I’m off to cuddle that dog of mine in bed with a book!

I've been meaning to show you guys around our new place for months now, but if you've ever moved across the country (or even just down the street) then you probably know how easily days become weeks when you're getting settled.

Our place in California is a lot smaller than the house we were in last summer, but it's close to the same size as our first apartment in Charlotte, so even though it initially felt like we were downsizing a bit, all of our stuff fits really nicely. We bought a new piece for the entryway (a nice tall white cabinet that holds all of our shoes) and some curtains once we arrived, but other than that we just stuck with the stuff we've been collecting over the past few years. The only things on our living room wishlist were an upgraded coffee table (we've had the same $10 one from IKEA for quite some time now), an area rug, and to somehow fit more seating in (other than the couch we only have my grandmother's/Ender's chair when people come over).

Early this year, Hayneedle was so kind as to send us a few lovely pieces to finish off the ol' wish list: this gorgeous chair with an ottoman, this beautiful and cozy rug, this sweet table set, and this super soft throw which I think ties everything together perfectly!

I've always gravitated toward neutrals when it came to furniture and decor, so the pops of color that kept coming through really surprised me as our living room started taking shape. Color-coding my bookshelf felt really silly at first but now I think it adds a really lovely brightness to the otherwise grey, white, and black space. I really like the combination of neutrals with a super colorful wall of books, especially next to my grandma Eileen's baby blue chair.

My cousin Ashley gave us the R&M wall hanging, which her husband made for us as a wedding gift; and my sister-in-law found that Where the Wild Things Are crown and sent it to me. I really love all the little details in our living room--they're what make it my favorite spot in the house for sure. (And let's not forget that sweet little pup who's always looking for an afternoon snuggle on the couch every day! Oh Ender--what are we going to do with you?)

Hayneedle sent me the items I linked to in exchange for a mention in this blog post. Thank you for supporting the brands that make content like this on Freckled Italian possible.

Disclosure: Ace Hardware has provided free paint samples. I was also compensated for my time and this blog post. All opinions and positions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Ace Hardware.

I think it's worth mentioning that it's March and we have absolutely no plans to move anywhere. Let's pop some champagne! After several years of packing up every August, this spring feels so different--so rooted and exciting! I'm hanging things on the walls and buying furniture for the patio, and there is nary a cardboard box in sight. It feels so good to not be planning the next move, and instead just be looking forward to spring and summer (and then fall and winter again!) in Charlotte.

So when ACE Hardware asked me to participate in their 31 Days of Color campaign by painting a wall in our bedroom, I was like "Why not? I've got no where to go!" I was assigned Green Citrine, which somehow manages to be super bright and yet still pleasantly neutral, and it's adding quite a necessary burst of freshness to our all-white bedroom that's just perfect for spring.

We're still on the hunt for the perfect headboard (either in grey or white) and some new lamps to replace our old ones, which we got from my parents' basement; but for now I'm rather fond of our bedroom--especially with a statement wall providing a new pop of color. I love that the master is big enough that we were able to create a little office corner for me and my desktop computer, since Rob's lives in the guest room and I like my big white desk a whole lot more than my old one that I gave to him after a couple of years. I thought I wouldn't like working in our bedroom because it would interfere with my work/life boundaries, but instead it forces me to keep our bedroom clean and I get a lot of light because we have a whole wall of windows to the left of my desk. It's a win win.

Take a look around, stay a while, and let me know what you think! I absolutely love the way the green wall makes our white furniture seem even brighter than before. I kind of want to paint the bathroom to match!

Do you have a statement wall anywhere in your home? Stay tuned for my next Home Tour blog post--we're working on our patio and I can't wait to share it with you guys!

Going to The Paint Studio at Ace is like going to your neighbor.