I can't count how many hundreds of hours that I have spent working on my website since July 31, 2000. One day, I was logged on and read on AOL@School about building your own website. I thought that would be an excellent way to keep in touch with many of my families. I never dreamed that my site would become all that it has. I'm constantly looking for new ideas to incorporate into my site.

Now if this is your first time attempting a website, I know how frustrating it can be. Thankfully I have been able to ask questions of some really nice people out there. Also, my friend started her own site shortly after I did, so we've been able to work through some things together. Please feel free to email me and ask me questions. I know what it's like to want answers right now.
I'll be happy to help if I can.


Click here to email me

To start with: Get a pencil, a pad of paper, and a disk or two to save your graphics on. My entire page and most of my folders are in HTML (it doesn't matter what it stands for, you just have to figure some of this language out). Write down or print out codes, so that if you have to redo something you have it right in front of you. For my new website host I was able to just print out my graphic html codes, which was so much easier.

On your Welcome Page, you'll want some sort of graphic. You may be able to get this from a Graphic Library, or you can "lift" graphics that you like from other websites. Now, if/when you lift a graphic you must save the image on your own disk or hard drive. Some people, myself included, have added a code to their webpage so that graphics, etc. can't be lifted easily. I did this so that my site would load faster. I now purchase most of my graphics from Whispy Hollow, Graphic Garden, and Cute Colors. Links to these and other sites can be found on my graphics page.

To add a link: Copy the following code-

<a href="URL HERE">
Then either place a graphic logo here or words

To add Weather Underground: From my site, click on the Weather Underground Bar. Enter your city and state, at the top. Then scroll down to the mint green box that says add this sticker to your site. You will be able to choose the "sticker" that you want to appear on your website. Copy the code for that particular sticker (just like the graphics...Control and C). Then paste the code to your site...press Control and V at the same time.

To add the scrolling text (like my Life Skill for the month): This is just another code...but it's fairly simple. Type this code...

<marquee> ADD WHAT YOU WANT IT TO SAY HERE </marquee> Now you should have a scoll.

I have been trying to keep the themes on my welcome page sort of generic, so that I can keep it for two months. I've used the following themes:
August/September: School
October/November: Fall
December/January: Winter/Snowmen
February: Valentine's
March: St. Patrick's Day
April/May: Spring
June/July: Summer/Ocean or Ice Cream

Sites that I have found useful codes on:

FreemoThis is the site where you'll find the code for the double and triple borders that appear on my site.

Country Graphics by Camille You have to email her for the password. She has a great Background Boutique. Sort of a limited choice of backgrounds, but so very easy. I love it because then you can see what it will actually look like before you copy and paste the code.

Dynamic Drive Here you can find many fun and useful codes.

Java Script Many fun codes. This is where I got the code for my bubbling apples on this page.

The Bare Bones Guide to HTML Here is a printable set of html codes.

This site created and maintained by Terri Stahlheber.