meet Haley My name is Haley Montgomery, and this is my site.

I live and work at home and at my day job in Starkville, Mississippi. I'm a designer by trade; a painter, drawer, writer, general creative type at heart; and a wife, mother and homemaker in joy. Here are the loves of my life:

Hub: My friend and love since before God made us one almost 10 years ago. He's my partner in seeking all things Godly and in navigating all things toddler boy and baby girl. We want to stick together like glue no matter what comes. He works as a landscape designer and knows the difference between dirt and soil, and weeds and plants--important distinctions in this world. Together, we're paying attention to our life.

Little Drummer Boy. Now 3 1/2 years old, full of kisses and words and "whys" and above all, the beat. He is terribly musically inclined, and quite good at keeping that beat to the music on his movies, to the sounds on the radio, and to the songs in his head. I have learned from LDB that all things can be made into drumsticks and/or drums with enough imagination and the slightest permission from Mommy to beat the table/couch/carpet. I once thought of shortening his code name or changing it to one word like Drumstick or simply Stick. But, I couldn't part with the "little" and "boy" -- I guess because he's MY little boy.

Squiggle Man. Now 2 years old and living his little life with great abandon. He never met a truck he couldn't toss across the room or a hallway he couldn't run down full force or a new word he couldn't scream at the top of his lungs. The roar that is his universal animal sound never ceases to make us or him giggle. He completely gives himself to whatever he is doing. And, more often than not, he's giving it with a combination of giggling and squealing at the top of his lungs that I call squiggling. No, the squiggle thing hasn't been a phase. I think it's actually a permanent fixture for his daily activities, and that's ok with me. But, I think I'm dropping "man" from his code name. I'm not ready for that yet.

Baby Girl. Now 2 1/2 months old and already wowing us with her smile. I call her Baby Girl because at the moment, girl and baby are her most awe-inspiring qualities for everyone within our walls. I thought of giving her a "real" code name, one not so John Doe-like. "Cheeks" would be appropriate because hers are so kissable, but I can't bear to part with Baby or Girl just yet. The joy of tiny fingers and toes and the wonder of all things pink are too precious.

My day job is with an advertising agency where, for 15 years, I have run the design department. I get paid to draw stuff every day, and I have had the opportunity to write for marketing in the form of website and brochure copy, to write for publicity in the form of press releases, and occasionally to write other stuff for client purposes A to Z.

I also occasionally pursue freelance writing opportunities that aren't in conflict with my day job (marketing, websites, blogs, editorial or just creative), because I enjoy writing. Plus, it's one of the creative pursuits that can more easily fit into the rest of life's general juggling with job, home, husband and 3 children.

I decided to write a blog to discipline myself more consistently to put my thoughts into words in unique ways (a pursuit I have enjoyed most of my life,) and to document my journey toward paying attention.

Leave your comments with the posts, so I can meet you too. Or, email me at haley@eyejunkie.com.

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