Brewing with Static Site Generators
A little magic goes a long way when your pages are just files.
There is something quietly magical about a static site. You write your incantations in Markdown, arrange your components like ingredients on a shelf, and out pops a fully-formed set of pages ready for the web.
No server-side cauldron to tend. No database to stir. Just files, templates, and a build step that feels a bit like alchemy.
In this scroll I'll walk through why I reached for Eleventy for this site, how the pieces fit together, and what I learned while trying to keep the whole thing feeling light, playful, and just a little bit witchy.
The appeal of plain text
Most of the content on this site is written in Markdown. That means I can open any scroll in a plain text editor, make a quick edit, and rebuild the whole cauldron in seconds.
Because the input is simple text under version control, the history of every post is preserved. I can see exactly when an ingredient was added, removed, or adjusted.
Layouts as spells
Templates and layouts are the spells that turn raw Markdown into polished HTML. A base layout defines the shared shell — the navigation, the header, the styles — while more specific layouts handle posts, projects, and link pages.
This separation lets the content stay focused on words while the presentation lives in one tidy place.
What's next
The structure is in place. Next I want to refine the colour palette, add a few more scrolls, and maybe introduce some small interactive flourishes that feel like finding a hidden rune on the page.
Thanks for stopping by the cauldron.