introductions

My name is Haley Montgomery.
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 and mother in joy. I'm juggling the place where full-time mothering, full-time job and full-time home-making meet full-on curiosity, full-on creativity, and full-on God-seeking--all the while taking notes and names.

Be forewarned. I am ridiculously wordy, prone to rabbit trails, and compulsively apt to edit myself (and my posts). Still, I invite you wander through my musings and see what's worthy of your attention.

My qualifications…
As a person:
My journey is rather ordinary. I'm a person created by God and of infinite worth to Him. (wait, that's extraordinary) That qualifies me for His love and that's big. My faith in Jesus has been a driving force in my life since I was a teenager. It has sustained me through the craziness of architecture/art school, the disillusionment of a divorce, the joy of the right marriage, the confusion of loving a spouse with depression, the life-altering birth of children, the fears of financial strain, and, um, potty training. I rarely shy away from exposure to different ideas and challenges to traditional thinking. Melding the best of the lessons they offer and eliminating the dross has convinced me that good news and God's work can come from unexpected places -- even places others might think impossible.

As a mommy:
Yeah, right. My house is a three ring circus. Most days I'm sure I'm either going to lose my kids or lose my marbles. Hub and I are navigating toddler land with a total fly-by-the-seat-of-her-can-hardly-fit-in-them-anymore-pants approach to soaking them up and spitting them out God-loving, people-loving, contributing members of the global classroom. I work full-time while my kids go to daycare, which still makes me cry on Mondays. But, I’ve rejected the guilt and just decided to miss them really badly all day and hug them constantly the rest of the time. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t slept since the 2004 presidential election. I have Good Night Moon, Are You My Mother? and Corduroy memorized. I’ve taught my children to say “no," “huh?” and "down, cat" without even realizing it. A Little People service station and Graco baby swing are integral design elements in my living room decor. Only those under 45 pounds can ride in my back seat. I cook a mean pop tart and a so-so pot roast. I’m not above a little sucker bribe if it gets the job done. Qualifications, schmalifications!

As a designer & writer:
My day job as a designer is with an advertising agency where, for 15 years, I have run the design department. I get paid to draw stuff and tinker on the computer every day--life's a dream! In addition to designing logos, brochures, websites and the like, 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 occasionally pursue freelance writing opportunities that aren't in conflict with my day job 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, Hub and the 3 gifts.

If you're interested in hiring me as a writer, you can download my resume here.
If you're interested in hiring me as a designer, call Dux D'Lux Advertising at 800.833.0292 or email me.

Further introductions:
If you stick around for long, you are likely to meet one or more of my life's beloved gifts.

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

7/21/09: My dear Hub, I now dub you "Quiver" because "Q is for the full Quiver we hoped God would grow out of the little Quiver that [still] happens in our hearts when we look at each other.

Little Drummer Boy: Given to us in 2005 and 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. 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: Given to us in 2006 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 beat you to the end of 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 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 in 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: Given to us in 2008 and wowing us with her smile and her fledgling giggles. I call her Baby Girl because girl and baby continue to be her most awe-inspiring qualities for everyone within our walls. I thought of giving her a "real" code name, one not so Jane 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.

We're all pleased to meet you.

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