Version 0

When I started Fangirl (late 2001), it was a combo Fray/BtVS site, emphasis on the Fray at this point. It did have a few Buffy wallpapers, and the top graphic was from the Buffy comic, but since it was mostly a Fray site, I consider this Version 0 of what's now Fangirl. I started out on Homestead, and the first few versions were assembled using their sitebuilder software, an excellent tool for the HTML-clueless, which I definitely was. So I tried to get the most out of my cut-and-paste skills.

Version 1

WooHoo, Buffy gets its own section! Fangirl was still a combo page, but I finally whupped together enough BtVS content to give the show its own part of the site (as opposed to a few thumbnailed wallpapers on the front page). I still didn't know from HTML at all so I figured simpler was better and stuck with a top banner, using Homestead's builder to align everything. There wasn't a lot here yet, but things were starting to take shape.

Version 2

Each BtVS section featured a different character in this version, and even though the design was still fairly simple, I was pretty proud of it (I think my favourite section was, well, the Favourites, which featured Kendra). I also added the monthly poll (first one was Best Season, won by S3) and some site-type content, such as cliques and fanlistings, and I was delighted to win my first site awards.

Version 2.1

Most of the site still looked the same, but with the addition of some new sections, I gave the main Buffy page a new look. Some of the new sections included the Misery Parade, Relationships, and the Relationship Chart.

Version 3

Whoopee, HTML! Once I wrapped by brain around it and figured out how to FTP the files, I started using frames in June 2002. After the relentless darkness of Season 6, I wanted to do a decidedly brighter layout this time and went kind of wild with the pink/peach. There was also a bunch of new content in this version, such as the comic bits, downloadable icons, rants, what if, fanart, quizzes, and probably my favourite, the adoptable dolls.

Version 4

As much fun as I had with the pink/peach of V3, after a while, I was ready for something a little more muted and came up with the layout I called Industrial Cabaret. I fell in love with this pic of SMG and had a great time learning to play with photoshop brushes for this version. There were also some new sections, including Apocalypse, BtVS ABCs, Hangman, a drinking game, and Doll Theatre.

Version 5

Back to the black background again! Heh, I try, but I can't seem to stay away from it. Still using the same basic structure and colour scheme as V4, but I wanted a new layout for Fangirl's move to my new domain. Spun Fray off to its own site and added more new sections in this version like AIM Icons, Winamp Skins, Haiku, Tic Tac Toe, a Site Quilt, personality quizzes, and these Previous Layouts.

Version 6

V6 only lasted a few weeks. I loved the SMG graphic I came up with for this, but the layout proportions just never seemed quite right to me. I was a bit nervous about going with such high-contrast colours for the layout, but I think they ended up working pretty well. Still, since I wasn't entirely satisfied (and the SMG pics from this shoot have been very popular for layouts), I decided to try something a little different.

Version 7

Up just over 6 months, V7 featured 'The Wish' and was both my first table layout and my first collage attempt (pretty happy with it!). It also saw Fangirl's 50,000th visitor! Updates suffered a little, due to my problems with S7, but revisiting favourite eps like The Wish really rekindled my love for BtVS.

Version 8

Continuing the 'favourite episodes' theme, V8's collage was from 'Hush'. Having just spent weeks making my first music video (it's housed at my personal site), which was a Hush tribute, I was just so into this ep that it had to be the next layout.

Version 9

When springtime came, I decided it was time to go brighter again and used some of my favourite promo pics from Season 4. This was also my first time experimenting with stock images.

Version 10

Version 10 was a "vector" layout of one of my favourite Season 4 promo pics and a silhouette of Sophia Crawford, Buffy's original stunt double.

Version 11

Version 11 used one of my favourite pics of SMG, and I was psyched to find these two pics of David & Marc, both in almost identical t-shirts and similar poses. It's also the first layout I posted here that used all my own brushes.