DEV Community: T.

Colors, Fonts, and Chaos: CSS Blogging

T. — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 01:41:54 +0000

Getting started

This weekend I started working on setting up a blog website using the site generator called Deadlogs. I chose this site generator since it is based on HTML and CSS. There are Javascript elements used for the navigation and pagination, but overall it allows me to make and update a static site without needing much Javascript.

I chose the Wheat template because I liked the cool floral geometric patterned background image, the transparent gray border for posts, and the simple fonts used.

Downloading the template package from Github was simple.

Then I edited a pink and gray patterned background online. I am obsessed at the moment with the Inter font from Google Fonts. It looks smooth and makes my writing feel very organized. I chose Inter for the main site text.

Choosing Fonts

For my pink header, I used Momo Signature. It's a cursive font that reminds me of Monotype Corsiva, a cursive font that was popular back in the day.

Selecting Colors

Pink is one of my favorite colors. So I used for #fb52a7 for accent color (links), hot pink for titles and headers, and #012410 a dark green for my main text color. And I kept the original template's gray color for the background on the main content area.

What's Next?

Next up, I plan to add content for my pages. I'll share an update soon with those next steps!

Talk to me

Do you use static site generators? What is your favorite static site generator? Share your sites in the comments.

Practicing CSS with Neocities

T. — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:48:27 +0000

I built a static webpage for my Neocities site using HTML, CSS, and a couple lines of Javascript to force myself to understand CSS and the box model.

The issue

I started the The Box model lesson around June 24, 2026. The lesson is short but has multiple resources for learning about and practicing the box model. For some reason, these lessons are not sticking. I read and watched each resource twice. After these reviews, I worked on a Rothko painting, did a codealong to create a HTML/CSS portfolio, and began working on a recreating the iconic nutrition facts using HTML and CSS. Nothing is sticking because I cannot layout projects using the box model without continuing to refer to my notes or online resources.

Neocities

Neocities is a website that allows users to create personal webpages that have the look and feel of the "old web". People get really creative and make beautiful looking static websites using pixelated graphics, cute cursors, and more.

I created my account. This is what a Neocities page looks like before a user begins designing their own page.

I decided to create a simple webpage that would allow me to practice CSS - the box model, positioning, and basic HTML as well - forms, semantic HTML tags, and more.

My site is structured with: a root directory, three additional directories, seven additional pages. I used one form and a bit of Javascript (from Google Gemini AI) on my contact page.

Pushing to Github

I'm pretty comfortable pushing to Github. I created my repository (named neocities) first. Then I pushed my root directory to that folder.

Deploying from Github to Neocities

Deploying my site from Github to Neocities was super confusing, so I'll dedicate time over the next week learning more about Devops, CI/CD, and working with Github Actions. This tutorial was easy to understand, and helped make the process simpler.

As I continue through the Foundations course and eventually tackle the Fullstack Javascript learning path by The Odin Project, my Neocities page will be my fun, carefree home online where I can show what I've learned.

What's next

My plan is to redesign my Neocities page monthly. No themes right now, so I'll redesign based on whatever inspires me at the moment. I want to add a few things so I'll list some of them:

counters for page views
a guestbook
responsiveness so mobile viewers can actually enjoy my page

Eventually I also want to design some free themes for Neocities users. Learning more about CSS is making me want to create and design pretty things on the web!

Come say hello!

Check out my Neocities page at teeteate.neocities.org

Please follow me there. I'm excited to meet you, and to share my learning journey over there in real time :)

And while you're at it, leave a comment and follow me on DEV.TO. Let's keep in touch!

Article credits:

W3schools Add Border to Image: for quickly adding borders to my screenshots
FreeCodeCamp: I used their assignment to practice the CSS box model by recreating a Rothko painting
Temporal: for his excellent Deploying to Neocities guide

How I Spent The Past Few Weeks as a Beginner Web Developer

T. — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:57:04 +0000

The past few weeks have been busy with learning. I started by working on a basic linktree style link site. My goal was to create my own version of this one from w3schools:

The Issue

I created my first version with the CSS inside <style></style> tags on the index.html page. This worked perfectly. Then, I moved the css into it's own file called styles.css in the root directory. Unfortunately, this broke the link between my css file and the html site somehow.

Stuck, I tried creating a folder called mycss and putting the css there. This didn't do it either. I cleared cache from devtools using `Cmd + Option + I. Nothing. So I did what any self respecting beginner would do, and joined a Discord server for learning HTML.

An engineer named Tokdev helped me out, and I continued to work on my file setup. Eventually, my site went from this:

to this:

The Resolution

I worked a little more on aligning everything, and you can see the completed link site here. The site is HTML and some CSS only since we had only covered HTML in The Odin Project so far.

🛠️ What I Did In The Past Few Weeks

Joined the Learn HTML discord
Reviewed links and paths using Steve Griffin's video and this game - Thanks Tokdev!
Completed The Odin Projects HTML Foundations course, and successfully completed all projects! You can view my final project, a HTML recipes page called Odin-Recipes here.
Begin TOP's CSS Foundations course, and practice CSS by creating a few projects.

🧠 What I Learned In The Past Few Weeks

How to create a gradient using CSS. I want to learn more about this, but it was fun setting up a basic gradient for my link site.
Some semantic HTML tags like <h1>and <p>.
How to push my project to Github repository.
How to write commit messages in Github so I understand changes made to my code.
How to create a live demo of my project using Github Pages.
How to screenshot an entire site without losing context or readability Thanks to Reddit.
How to mimic this free Magnific image by creating a radial gradient background image.

📆 Upcoming Plans

Next week, I will work some more on understanding CSS and positioning using the box model, and then begin working through The Odin Project's Flexbox unit. I hope to finish their Javascript Basics course by the end of this month.

How I Chose My Web Development Path as a Beginner

T. — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 15:14:23 +0000

Choosing a learning path is one of the most critical decisions you make as a beginner. When I set out to learn web development, I knew exactly what I needed: resources that were thorough, accessible 24/7, and completely free—both online and in print.

Before settling on my 2026 learning path, I experimented with a few popular options. Here is a look at what I tried, why they didn’t quite stick, and where I ultimately landed.

What Didn’t Work for Me

Scrimba
Scrimba offers highly interactive introductory courses in web development. However, I realized a bit too late that the platform isn't entirely free; a paywall kicks in shortly after you begin the core HTML and CSS sections. Because I was looking for fully open resources, I had to move on.

Frontend Mentor
Frontend Mentor is an excellent platform for practicing UI design, but it operates on a freemium model. While the basic learning paths are free, accessing project solutions, starter files, and advanced challenges requires a paid upgrade.

100Devs
100Devs is a free, self-paced, community-taught bootcamp led by Leon Noel. Originally broadcast live on Twitch, the full 30-week course repository is now available on YouTube and communitytaught.org.

I actually joined the inaugural cohort in 2020 and attempted subsequent restarts. Leon is an engaging instructor, but the live-stream format presents some hurdles for self-paced learners. The videos are several hours long and include significant time spent interacting with the live chat, managing stream tangents, and breaking away from the core curriculum. Ultimately, the pacing made it difficult for me to stay focused and build momentum.

(Note: I also found myself misaligned with some of the community’s culture and leadership choices over time, which made it easier to look for a fresh start elsewhere.)

What did I choose?

Ultimately, I chose The Odin Project (TOP) as my primary framework, and I couldn't be happier with the decision.

The Odin Project checks every single box for me:

100% Free: No hidden paywalls or premium tiers.

Thorough & Deep: It provides an incredible foundation, guiding you through the Command Line, Git, GitHub, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Project-Based: You build real projects from scratch, including extra credit assignments that push your limits.

Flexible: It’s fully online and accessible 24/7, allowing me to learn at my own pace.

Supplementing the Journey

To round out my education, I am supplementing TOP’s curriculum with their curated external links and a personal goal: reading one non-fiction and/or web development book per month.

Finding the right path is all about trial and error. It takes time to discover what aligns with your learning style, but finding the right fit makes all the difference. I’ll dive into the first book on my reading list in my next post—stay tuned!

Here to Learn

T. — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 22:44:33 +0000

I'm Tee (@teeteate), and I'm here to learn. Dev.to will be my space to document my learning journey in public. I have spent time being afraid to learn, fail, and grow especially in view of other people. I no longer want to remain stagnant and in hiding.

My goals are to:

Complete a data analytics course:
This learning path will focus on Microsoft Excel, SQL, and Python. I may also include Power BI. My goal for learning data analytics is to gain an understanding of using and managing data along with backend web development.
Complete a full-stack web development learning path:
This learning path is one that I have started and quit more times than I can count. I want to learn full-stack web development well enough to build a portfolio of projects. I'm starting with HTML and CSS, and will continue to build from there using the MERN stack - MongoDB (NoSQL database), Express.js (backend framework), React (frontend library), and Node.js (runtime environment).
Learn computer science and web development fundamentals: The plan is to do some learning on web fundamentals using free and low-cost resources online.
Combine my love of art and color to learn some design and UX/UI basics: I hope to build beautiful projects, and want to use UX and UI fundamentals to help me. I'm not sure yet how I will do this.

I hope the DEV.to community will join me on my learning journey! Let's connect here - follow me, leave a comment, and like and share this post! Excited to get started and learn with you!