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celebrate . Halloween in the House

· October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween! Around here, we tend to merge our excitement for fall together with Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations that celebrate this long-awaited time of year. Cooler days, rustling leaves, bluer skies, pumpkins, and the smell of warm spices… the changing season settles in to our hearts and to our home. Even though our favorite activities for Halloween are changing, we never seem to outgrow the comfort that comes from pulling out our decorations, remembering favorite things, and creating a cozier feel in our rooms. On this day of spooks, I thought I’d share a glimpse of our Halloween in the house, and with it, a glimpse of my heart in yet another season of change.

Categories : celebrate

Tags : Halloween, holidays, inspired by autumn, our home, vintage design, vintage toys

keep . Summer Jar Season

Posted by haley montgomery

· May 23, 2019

Summer has arrived in the Pond! Today marks the last day of school for my kiddos, and we are all very ready for more relaxed schedules. The official equinox won’t come for another month, but amid the craziness of end-of-year celebrations and project lists, we’ve managed to pull out the Summer Jar, our annual tradition for capturing summer’s ordinary (and not-so-ordinary) wonders. It’s our fifth year to use this little ritual to help us keep summer, and along the way, we’ve tweaked the idea, allowing it to grow and change as we have. Now, we can’t imagine summer without it!

Categories : keep

Tags : beautiful ordinary, conscious living, family, family experiences, inspired by summer, watercolor

see . Indianola’s B. B. King Museum

Posted by haley montgomery

· August 29, 2018

Last summer, we decided to make a trek into the Mississippi Delta for one of the road trips that have begun to signify our summertime experiences. We made a couple of stops along the way to explore, but our true destination was Indianola, in Sunflower County, the town B.B. King considered home. There, he returned to perform for his namesake festival each year and is now memorialized at the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center. We wanted to see and learn and experience this legendary Mississippi musician who was so loved by the world – there, where he had been raised. What we found was a world-class experience of music chronicling the part this iconic musician has played in it. Our visit to the B.B. King Museum did not disappoint, and looking back, I’m still enamored by its retelling of the man who’s tonic was the Blues.

Categories : see

Tags : downtowns, Indianola MS, inspired by music, local, Mississippi, Mississippi Delta, museums, reviews, Southern experiences, what we saw

collect . Little Golden Books

Posted by haley montgomery

· August 13, 2018

“There once was a very unusual school
that had for its teacher Miss Tillie O’Toole.
She taught all her lessons in riddles and rhyme,
and those who learned quickest were given a dime…
I’m sure there was never a happier school
Than the one that was taught by Miss Tillie O’Toole.”

A new school year started last week for my family, and every year, I get a little nostalgic as we begin preparing for a new year. I invariably start reminiscing about days when my kiddos were young enough to want me to walk them into school on the first day, and the children invariably roll their eyes. Still, I see the glimmer and the subtle grins, and I answer the questions when they ask me to tell them more. Sometimes, we can’t help but be curious about our own little histories, especially as we’re moving breakneck toward the next stages of our lives. Today, I thought I would share one of our collections that brings both me and my children fond and special memories… Little Golden Books.

Categories : collect

Tags : illustration, kids design, my 70s childhood, nostalgia, school days, vintage design

go . An Afternoon in Clarksdale, Mississippi

Posted by haley montgomery

· June 18, 2018

Summer is road trip season, and we’ve been enjoying a few of our annual adventures through Mississippi and the backroads South! These uncharted and somewhat unplanned treks have become a favorite part of our family’s summer activities. Last week, my sweet Elisha even told me that the car trips have been some of the best activities of summer so far. And, what’s not to love, with enjoying games and movies in the car, exploring 2-lane highways, experiencing new scenery, and exploring, shopping and eating in out-of-the-way places? My children hardly even blink an eye now when I pull off to photograph something or take a detour just to see what’s there. For our first road trip this summer, we decided to drive over to Clarksdale, Mississippi to see what we could find at the crossroads of Hwy 61 and 49. I thought I’d share three of our favorite Clarksdale experiences and some of the sights in watercolor sketches and photos…

Categories : go

Tags : Clarksdale MS, downtowns, Mississippi, Mississippi Delta, small town life, Southern experiences, watercolor, what we saw, where we ate

Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of Small Pond Graphics. I sometimes fancy myself a frog kisser— a documentarian coaxing poignant moments from unexpected places. This blog has evolved from those moments.

The small Pond FIELD GUIDE is part diary, part sketchbook, and part wish list – an archive of ordinary wonders. For years, this space has housed my stories – creative ideas, vintage inspiration, our forays into curious places, and the simple artifacts of quiet of conscious living. Through watercolor, photography, and illustrated tales, these pages uncover the blessing of ordinary days and the wonder found in authentic places and pursuits.

I invite you to open the boxes.
Peek into the drawers.
Rustle through the pages.
I’m honored to have you here.