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.

I've partnered up with Cambria Wines to create a few blog posts this spring, and my first one is this recipe for herby steamed clams. Beautiful shellfish, butter, and Benchbreak Chardonnay--what's not to love? Grab the recipe on their blog today.

One of my all-time favorite salads is definitely the Crab Louie--it is so decadent and feels totally fancy! I only ever eat it when I'm on vacation at the beach somewhere, so the other day I thought, why not make it for myself at home? Crab season is winding down, so Rob and I ran to the market in our neighborhood and picked up some Dungeness crab meat and threw together these beautiful salads (as well as a couple fresh crab sandwiches) and had a really lovely weekend lunch together.

Butter lettuce is one of my favorite lettuces ever--it's crisp but soft in texture and has a really nice silkiness that I can't get enough of. I like to leave it whole on the plate and cut it up as I go. Crab Louie salads really incorporate all of my favorite veggies (radishes, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado) with hard-boiled eggs and crab meat, two of my favorite proteins.

You could also add some lightly steamed asparagus if you wanted, but I like mine without, especially when I'm pairing it with white wine. As usual, we reached for a bottle of La Crema--the Monterey Chardonnay is perfect with this dish (and the crab sandwich, too--find the recipe on the La Crema blog today).

Crab Louie Salad (serves 2)

Ingredients: 

• 1 small head of butter lettuce, washed and removed from stem
• 1/4-1/2 pound of Dungeness crab meat
• 1 medium avocado
• 1 medium Roma tomato
• 1-2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 2-3 radishes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 of a large cucumber, quartered
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 dash of hot sauce (Tabasco would be best)
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions: 

1. Divide and arrange lettuce, vegetables, hard-boiled egg, and crab on two plates to your liking. 
2. In a small bowl mix mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, paprika, chili powder, and some salt and pepper. Serve overtop or on the side of the salads. Serve immediately.

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema.