The economy sucks, I’m trying to plan a wedding, and the same week I bought my first car (hooray) is when I lost my only ongoing/steady writing gig (boo).

Simply put: times are tough.

With penny pinching the only thing that is chic these days, it is easy to forget the basic things in life that make it worth living.

Case in point: A Year of Mornings – 3191 Miles Apart by Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes

After reading countless reviews about how great this book is, I caved and finally got myself a copy. Normally, I lean towards books that are at least 80% text, but this is exactly the opposite. Here is a perfect summary of the book (thanks to its publisher, of course):

A Year of Mornings collects 236 images—always taken before 10 am without discussion between the two women—from this uniquely 21st century artistic collaboration. The intimacy of these photographs—discarded clothing, a view of a snowy day from the window, a tablecloth—combined with their striking similarities in color and composition defies the reality of their long-distance collaboration. While clearly kindred spirits, the two women have met in person only once. Their friendship is maintained solely online, sustained by a shared love for moments of serenity, solitude, and peacefulness. The annotated photographs in A Year of Mornings radiate an aura of sweetness and light—the promise of a new day.

In just the first few pages, I fell in love with photography and mornings all over again. During my high school days, you couldn’t get me out of bed before 9 or 10am (thanks to having first period open, ha). In the past 4 years, I’ve trained myself to be a morning person, mostly because my fiance is anything but. It is so easy to rush through our morning routines without taking the time to acknowledge and embrace the beauty each new day offers. For me, that is what this book is all about.

Just within the past month, Maria (a.k.a Mav) and Stephanie began posting again on the blog that started it all – 3191. I’m enchanted with the warmth and simplicity in both ladies’ photographs. The idea of starting a photography-only blog has danced around in my mind for many years. Though I now have a car payment to add to my expenses, I’ve never been more tempted to buy the new digital camera I’ve been longing for (at the very least, I am asking for it on my birthday [June 11th] this year).

Maybe it is time for me to transform Victoria-E.com into more than just an information source, but also a location for my visually artistic and inspirational-driven side.

Opinions?