diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1793ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+.gemini
+prompts
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fstree.go b/fstree.go
index 760ed3c..1e46706 100644
--- a/fstree.go
+++ b/fstree.go
@@ -52,13 +52,16 @@ type FsTreeImpl struct {
 }
 
 func NewFsTree(rootPath string) *FsTreeImpl {
+	root := &FsNode{
+		nodeType: FolderNode,
+		path:     rootPath,
+		children: make([]*FsNode, 0),
+		expanded: true,
+	}
+	walkFileSystemAndBuildTree(rootPath, root)
+
 	return &FsTreeImpl{
-		root: &FsNode{
-			nodeType: FolderNode,
-			path:     rootPath,
-			children: make([]*FsNode, 0),
-			expanded: true,
-		},
+		root: root,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0055dcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+module mend
+
+go 1.25.5
+
+require (
+	github.com/aymanbagabas/go-osc52/v2 v2.0.1 // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea v1.3.10 // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/colorprofile v0.2.3-0.20250311203215-f60798e515dc // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss v1.1.0 // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/x/ansi v0.10.1 // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/x/cellbuf v0.0.13-0.20250311204145-2c3ea96c31dd // indirect
+	github.com/charmbracelet/x/term v0.2.1 // indirect
+	github.com/erikgeiser/coninput v0.0.0-20211004153227-1c3628e74d0f // indirect
+	github.com/lucasb-eyer/go-colorful v1.2.0 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-localereader v0.0.1 // indirect
+	github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.16 // indirect
+	github.com/muesli/ansi v0.0.0-20230316100256-276c6243b2f6 // indirect
+	github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2 // indirect
+	github.com/muesli/termenv v0.16.0 // indirect
+	github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.4.7 // indirect
+	github.com/xo/terminfo v0.0.0-20220910002029-abceb7e1c41e // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.36.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/text v0.3.8 // indirect
+)
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc7a40a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+github.com/aymanbagabas/go-osc52/v2 v2.0.1 h1:HwpRHbFMcZLEVr42D4p7XBqjyuxQH5SMiErDT4WkJ2k=
+github.com/aymanbagabas/go-osc52/v2 v2.0.1/go.mod h1:uYgXzlJ7ZpABp8OJ+exZzJJhRNQ2ASbcXHWsFqH8hp8=
+github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea v1.3.10 h1:otUDHWMMzQSB0Pkc87rm691KZ3SWa4KUlvF9nRvCICw=
+github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea v1.3.10/go.mod h1:ORQfo0fk8U+po9VaNvnV95UPWA1BitP1E0N6xJPlHr4=
+github.com/charmbracelet/colorprofile v0.2.3-0.20250311203215-f60798e515dc h1:4pZI35227imm7yK2bGPcfpFEmuY1gc2YSTShr4iJBfs=
+github.com/charmbracelet/colorprofile v0.2.3-0.20250311203215-f60798e515dc/go.mod h1:X4/0JoqgTIPSFcRA/P6INZzIuyqdFY5rm8tb41s9okk=
+github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss v1.1.0 h1:vYXsiLHVkK7fp74RkV7b2kq9+zDLoEU4MZoFqR/noCY=
+github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss v1.1.0/go.mod h1:/6Q8FR2o+kj8rz4Dq0zQc3vYf7X+B0binUUBwA0aL30=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/ansi v0.10.1 h1:rL3Koar5XvX0pHGfovN03f5cxLbCF2YvLeyz7D2jVDQ=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/ansi v0.10.1/go.mod h1:3RQDQ6lDnROptfpWuUVIUG64bD2g2BgntdxH0Ya5TeE=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/cellbuf v0.0.13-0.20250311204145-2c3ea96c31dd h1:vy0GVL4jeHEwG5YOXDmi86oYw2yuYUGqz6a8sLwg0X8=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/cellbuf v0.0.13-0.20250311204145-2c3ea96c31dd/go.mod h1:xe0nKWGd3eJgtqZRaN9RjMtK7xUYchjzPr7q6kcvCCs=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/term v0.2.1 h1:AQeHeLZ1OqSXhrAWpYUtZyX1T3zVxfpZuEQMIQaGIAQ=
+github.com/charmbracelet/x/term v0.2.1/go.mod h1:oQ4enTYFV7QN4m0i9mzHrViD7TQKvNEEkHUMCmsxdUg=
+github.com/erikgeiser/coninput v0.0.0-20211004153227-1c3628e74d0f h1:Y/CXytFA4m6baUTXGLOoWe4PQhGxaX0KpnayAqC48p4=
+github.com/erikgeiser/coninput v0.0.0-20211004153227-1c3628e74d0f/go.mod h1:vw97MGsxSvLiUE2X8qFplwetxpGLQrlU1Q9AUEIzCaM=
+github.com/lucasb-eyer/go-colorful v1.2.0 h1:1nnpGOrhyZZuNyfu1QjKiUICQ74+3FNCN69Aj6K7nkY=
+github.com/lucasb-eyer/go-colorful v1.2.0/go.mod h1:R4dSotOR9KMtayYi1e77YzuveK+i7ruzyGqttikkLy0=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 h1:xfD0iDuEKnDkl03q4limB+vH+GxLEtL/jb4xVJSWWEY=
+github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20/go.mod h1:W+V8PltTTMOvKvAeJH7IuucS94S2C6jfK/D7dTCTo3Y=
+github.com/mattn/go-localereader v0.0.1 h1:ygSAOl7ZXTx4RdPYinUpg6W99U8jWvWi9Ye2JC/oIi4=
+github.com/mattn/go-localereader v0.0.1/go.mod h1:8fBrzywKY7BI3czFoHkuzRoWE9C+EiG4R1k4Cjx5p88=
+github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.16 h1:E5ScNMtiwvlvB5paMFdw9p4kSQzbXFikJ5SQO6TULQc=
+github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.16/go.mod h1:Jdepj2loyihRzMpdS35Xk/zdY8IAYHsh153qUoGf23w=
+github.com/muesli/ansi v0.0.0-20230316100256-276c6243b2f6 h1:ZK8zHtRHOkbHy6Mmr5D264iyp3TiX5OmNcI5cIARiQI=
+github.com/muesli/ansi v0.0.0-20230316100256-276c6243b2f6/go.mod h1:CJlz5H+gyd6CUWT45Oy4q24RdLyn7Md9Vj2/ldJBSIo=
+github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2 h1:3I4Kt4BQjOR54NavqnDogx/MIoWBFa0StPA8ELUXHmA=
+github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2/go.mod h1:3XuTXfFS2VjM+HTLZY9Ak0l6eUKfijIfMUZ4EgX0QYo=
+github.com/muesli/termenv v0.16.0 h1:S5AlUN9dENB57rsbnkPyfdGuWIlkmzJjbFf0Tf5FWUc=
+github.com/muesli/termenv v0.16.0/go.mod h1:ZRfOIKPFDYQoDFF4Olj7/QJbW60Ol/kL1pU3VfY/Cnk=
+github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.2.0/go.mod h1:J6wj4VEh+S6ZtnVlnTBMWIodfgj8LQOQFoIToxlJtxc=
+github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.4.7 h1:WUdvkW8uEhrYfLC4ZzdpI2ztxP1I582+49Oc5Mq64VQ=
+github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.4.7/go.mod h1:FN3SvrM+Zdj16jyLfmOkMNblXMcoc8DfTHruCPUcx88=
+github.com/xo/terminfo v0.0.0-20220910002029-abceb7e1c41e h1:JVG44RsyaB9T2KIHavMF/ppJZNG9ZpyihvCd0w101no=
+github.com/xo/terminfo v0.0.0-20220910002029-abceb7e1c41e/go.mod h1:RbqR21r5mrJuqunuUZ/Dhy/avygyECGrLceyNeo4LiM=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210809222454-d867a43fc93e/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.36.0 h1:KVRy2GtZBrk1cBYA7MKu5bEZFxQk4NIDV6RLVcC8o0k=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.36.0/go.mod h1:OgkHotnGiDImocRcuBABYBEXf8A9a87e/uXjp9XT3ks=
+golang.org/x/text v0.3.8 h1:nAL+RVCQ9uMn3vJZbV+MRnydTJFPf8qqY42YiA6MrqY=
+golang.org/x/text v0.3.8/go.mod h1:E6s5w1FMmriuDzIBO73fBruAKo1PCIq6d2Q6DHfQ8WQ=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ef9140
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"mend/styles"
+	"os"
+
+	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
+)
+
+/*
+Quick notes to self:
+
+# How bubbletea works?
+Bubbletea is a
+Init ( once for sync/async opts both )
+-> Update ( model ) ( againc an be sync/async )
+-> View loop
+init creates initial model ( model is the global ui state and just a struct )
+update modifies model based on an immediate or deferred compute
+view is purely for rendering based on model
+
+notes:
+- model struct next -> global ui model
+- createModel is the initial sync model state population
+I anyways need to create the model struct even if blank
+- Init func is for bubbletea to call once at start so both are needed
+- all widths and heights are character count based
+*/
+
+type model struct {
+	width int
+	quit  bool
+}
+
+// initial model state
+func createModel() model {
+	return model{
+		width: 20, // char count
+	}
+}
+
+// =================== bubbletea ui fns ===================
+// these need to be on the "model" ( duck typing "implements" interface )
+func (m model) Init() tea.Cmd {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	switch msg := msg.(type) {
+	case tea.KeyMsg:
+		switch msg.String() {
+		case "q", "ctrl+c":
+			m.quit = true
+			return m, tea.Quit
+		}
+	}
+	return m, nil
+}
+
+func (m model) View() string {
+	left := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Width(m.width).
+		Render("section1")
+
+	right := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Render("section2")
+
+	divider := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Width(1).
+		Height(5).
+		Background(styles.Primary).
+		Render("") // everything is a string in tui
+
+	return lipgloss.JoinHorizontal(lipgloss.Top, left, divider, right)
+}
+
+// =================== bubbletea ui fns ===================
+
+func main() {
+	p := tea.NewProgram(createModel(), tea.WithAltScreen() /* <- full screen tui */)
+	if _, err := p.Run(); err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("Error: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/styles/styles.go b/styles/styles.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a3c1f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/styles/styles.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+everything related to theming goes here
+a theme is any set of colors or styles that are used in several
+places or are expected to be globally consistent/modified
+- ruinivist, 30Dec25
+*/
+
+package styles
+
+import "github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
+
+// ==================== colors ====================
+var (
+	Primary    = lipgloss.Color("#7D56F4")
+	Secondary  = lipgloss.Color("#FF5C8F")
+	Background = lipgloss.Color("#1E1E2E")
+	// TODO: to extend as needed, right now this is just a
+	// placeholder
+)
+
+// ==================== lipgloss styles ====================
+var (
+	DividerStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Width(1).
+		Background(Primary)
+)