This post is brought to you in partnership with Lavazza.

I'm back with another Lavazza giveaway this evening! I have had such a great time working with Lavazza over the past year and I hope you've enjoyed this partnership, as well! 

Lavazza is excited to be the new official coffee of The US Open Tennis Championships:

“Starting this year, tennis enthusiasts who attend the US Open will not only have the chance to watch some exciting tennis featuring the finest players in the world, but also to take an all-Italian break and enjoy a delicious cup of authentic coffee.

The agreement, which forms part of the internationalization strategy pursued by the Italian company and brand, underlines our intention to make the United States our second home and to consolidate the relationship between Lavazza and expressions of excellence the world over.”

— Group Vice President Giuseppe Lavazza.

For the rest of August, Lavazza's Single Origin coffees (pictured in this post) are 20% off. I'm also giving two bags away next week, so enter to win below! To celebrate Lavazza's new partnership with The US Open, the lucky giveaway winner will also receive a copy of The Stylish Life: Tennis, which is a gorgeous coffee table book full of beautiful photos. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now is the time of year when twenty-something women all over the country start daydreaming about fall. I am one of these women--and while you won't find me lining up for a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks anytime soon (does anyone else think an August launch date for that monstrosity is a little much?), I will be wearing my jeans. 

Jeans: Levi | Shirt: Banana Republic | Shoes: c/o Famous Footwear

Bag: Coach | Bracelet: c/o Pamé Designs

Watch: Michael Kors (there's a huge 50% off summer sale now through tomorrow!)

I've had this leather bag for more years than I can count--I used it through graduate school and as a work bag before it just started to fall apart a bit at the handles recently. I still use it a lot and I'm pretty happy with how well it's held up. I may replace the handles at some point--is that a thing? It's one of my favorite pieces of my wardrobe.

What are you wearing this last month of summer?

Photos by Andi Perullo for Freckled Italian.

When I was younger, my life motto was "let go and let God." It allowed me to give up worry while still letting me feel like I was in control. The whole point was to just be faithful that things would always work out the way they were supposed to, which for a young girl with a lot of faith and no real problems was actually quite easy.

Although my life has been a rather gentle ride so far, as I get older I cross paths with plenty of things to cause me worry. The deaths of family and friends. Illness. Anxiety. Changes in my family dynamic. And over the years it has become harder and harder for me to let go.

Last winter I wrote about the weirdness of being in a liminal space of non-transition after a whole life of changes. I have always been able to focus on the next thing, and I didn't realize it at the time but it was extremely therapeutic. Little stresses add up over time but focusing on the bigger picture always provides some much-needed perspective. And yet it's always easier to look back once the wedding is planned and the boxes are packed and you're finally feeling settled. So this year has been one of worry. 

But something changed for me a few months back--the realization that I couldn't worry anymore. I was making myself sick and nothing was changing. So I started taking things one day at a time. I let go. And while I'm no longer much of a religious person, I find myself more and more often praying for things to work out not the way I want them to, but the way they're supposed to. It's easier said than done, of course, but like meditation or yoga, it's a practice that I have applied thoughtfully to my life. Things will change one day. But probably not today. So take a deep breath and banish your misgivings for as long as you can.

Stand up in the presence of whatever's in front of you. Feel it. Let it wash over you if you must. And then just let it go.