How my site was started…

Posted by Sandee 11 comments

Hey everyone!! I just finished filming the DVD review of the week for TunaFlix.com and I wanted to answer a question by MissK “first off, let me say you’re gorgeous! second, I love the website! it’s amazing! and you did it all yourself?! how did you get started/learn web design. DO TELL!” Thanks MissK! When I was 18 years old, I danced (stripped) at a club in Sacramento for a couple years. While I was working there, I met someone who was website savvy. I ended up taking a couple lessons from him and learned the basics of a website. After that I went to Gateway and got my first good quality computer. I think I spent like 3k on it!! Which blows my mind now. haha! (I have a friend that can build computers from the ground up for $800) and they’re AMAZING systems. Anyways, I downloaded all the software I thought I would need and spent HOURS playing with the programs and getting to know them. After I quit dancing I only applied my time to my website and learning as much as I possibly could about the website world. I’d go into other sites and look at their source code and figure out how a tidbit of HTML would make a particular thing happen. It was all trial and error really.

I had a website called SandraWestgate.com back in 1998 that someone else ran for me (my very first site) When I left that person I told him I was going to do my own site. He laughed and said “yea right!! You could never do your own site”!! I took that as a challenge, and now here I am extremely successful years later with my site. A nice big FUCK YOU to him! hahaha! He emailed me in 2005 saying he’d sell my sandrawestgate.com domain back to me for 10k. He thought that was fair since he figured my site to be making about that much each month. I told him the truth, it made much more than 10k a month and he can go screw himself. HAHAH!

I love the motto “Success is the best revenge” don’t you??

When I first built my site in 1999 it looked shitty! hahah! It was all I knew how to do though. So… over the years (almost 10 now) I’ve learned more and more about design, graphics, websites.. you name it! I’m like a little sponge. I love learning new tips and tricks and it’s cool for me to implement them on my own site. That’s about it I still have so much to learn, but it’s fun for me and challenging as well, which keeps me intrested.

I hope I didn’t bore you with my explanation. I hope you all had a great weekend! Take care! xoxo, Sandee

Filed in SandeeWestgate.com 11 comments

11 Comments

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Aug 24, 2008
4:33 pm

#1 Apollo :

LOL Sandee!!!…Too much…you made that guy eat his words for sure..Good for you!!!

Aug 24, 2008
5:41 pm

#2 pinkaddiction :

i love this two pics! you look amazing!

Aug 25, 2008
6:13 am

#3 MissK :

thanks! I was curious because i’m into modeling and you’re a huge inspiration. I love your site. I plan on learning web and graphic design myself (i’m a little sponge as well =))
i’m buying a TON of books on the subject to get me started. luckily, my dad builds computers so I got one for free! but thnx for the info!
(love the pics!)
muuuah,
missk

Aug 25, 2008
7:41 am

#4 baigos :

hey!, i can teach you website design like i teach to chuck norris to boil the water. Nothing for me!
There is five easy steps for…i forget
First, First
Second, I’m not chuck norris
Third, Web design is easy for spydermans
Four, mmm tasty!
Five, doh!

My english is not very good because i got brain damage. Also, i listening for hours cumbia sonidera

Aug 25, 2008
8:04 am

#5 Speed :

I’ve always thought Sandee does an A+ job with how she runs her site. For alot of the individual model sites they claim they run it themselves (I believe it). My opionion is that its not neccasarily a good thing. With Sandee’s site if I have a problem I email her and it’s fixed in 5 minutes. Best customer service in the world

My webdesign tip for anybody(I’m not an expert)
I’m really not into web design but I have done it a couple of times for local businesses in my area. There’s 4 basic design elements that can keep things looking good and the memorable acronym for it is C.R.A.P
1. Contrast
2. Repetition
3. Alignment
4. Proximity

Aug 25, 2008
3:08 pm

#6 baigos :

mmmmm tasty!

PD: I’m not chuck norris

Aug 26, 2008
6:51 pm

#7 MissM :

Kick ass how you didn’t let what someone said ruin things. I do wonder who your host is?

Aug 28, 2008
10:34 am

#8 Jose B AKA Hose-B :

Hellz your the greatest.. a great combination smart, hot, sexy, you are the perfect woman.. and we share 2 things in common well sorta.. 1 you live in Huntington Beach (for now) i was born and raised in Huntington Beach.. and 2 your B-day is May 5th (lucky you “cinco de mayo”) my b-day is the 4th.. its like we’re ment to be.. hahaha.. joking.. well anyway.. thats awsome how you manage your site..

Aug 29, 2008
5:09 pm

#9 angela :

Hah, that’s how I’m learning about web design too (trial and error).
By the way, love the new colors and header, but the white font on black background is killing my eyes.

Sep 1, 2008
10:03 am

#10 ryan :

I agree! Success is the best revenge!

Sep 4, 2008
12:18 am

#11 Keni :

hiya sandee! wow your fuckin awesome! i agree with miss k, a real inspiration to other models!

i came out the army with 13yrs of boxing on my brain and no computer skills whatsoever! then i got into this and people just treated me like a walking erection!

i needed to fix up so thats what got me started, i dont really know much yet but i got my head round html, a bit of dreamweaver, photoshop, final cut and omg the list of things to learn is neverending!! grr! lol!!

but reason why i wanted to say thanks here is that even when it seems endless, peeps like sandee really give me that kick up the ass to keep learning and man look at her site, its fuckin wicked!

props to sandee, as always looking good and wha with brains too!? damn your gettin up in the uber leagues of sexyness!! lol!!

kisses keni x x x