diff --git a/src/app/layout.tsx b/src/app/layout.tsx
index 9fb75a8..a163c02 100644
--- a/src/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/layout.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ export default function RootLayout({ children }: React.PropsWithChildren) {
           />
         )}
 
+        {/* Living background */}
+        <div className="pointer-events-none fixed inset-0 -z-10 overflow-hidden">
+          <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-[linear-gradient(to_right,#80808010_1px,transparent_1px),linear-gradient(to_bottom,#80808010_1px,transparent_1px)] bg-[size:24px_24px]" />
+          <div className="animate-blob absolute left-[45%] top-[30%] h-[700px] w-[700px] rounded-full bg-primary/5 blur-3xl" />
+          <div className="animate-blob absolute right-[20%] top-[60%] h-[500px] w-[500px] rounded-full bg-primary/4 blur-3xl [animation-delay:3s]" />
+        </div>
+
         <BreadcrumbProvider>
           <Navigation />
           <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col pt-16 lg:flex-row">
diff --git a/src/components/Navigation.tsx b/src/components/Navigation.tsx
index 2188fa7..d103115 100644
--- a/src/components/Navigation.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Navigation.tsx
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ export function Navigation() {
   return (
     <>
       <nav
-        className={`fixed left-4 right-4 top-4 z-[51] rounded-2xl border bg-background/80 shadow-sm backdrop-blur-md transition-all duration-200 ${isOpen ? "border-transparent" : "border-border/60"
-          }`}
+        className="fixed left-0 right-0 top-0 z-[51] border-b border-border/50 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-md"
       >
         <div className="relative px-8">
           <div className="flex h-16 items-center justify-between">
@@ -87,7 +86,7 @@ export function Navigation() {
         aria-hidden="true"
       />
       <div
-        className={`fixed left-4 right-4 top-24 z-50 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl border border-border/50 bg-background/80 shadow-sm backdrop-blur-md transition-all duration-300 lg:hidden ${isOpen ? "max-h-[calc(100vh-8rem)] opacity-100" : "max-h-0 opacity-0"
+        className={`fixed left-0 right-0 top-16 z-50 overflow-hidden border-t border-border/50 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-md transition-all duration-300 lg:hidden ${isOpen ? "max-h-[calc(100vh-8rem)] opacity-100" : "max-h-0 opacity-0"
           }`}
       >
         <div className="flex flex-col space-y-2 p-4">
diff --git a/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index d2a037a..160ffbd 100644
--- a/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ export function Sidebar() {
     <>
       {/* Mobile layout - horizontal intro bar only on home page */}
       {isHomePage && (
-        <div className="w-full space-y-4 px-6 pb-2 pt-6 sm:px-8 lg:hidden">
-          <div className="flex items-center space-x-4">
+        <div className="w-full space-y-3 px-4 pb-2 pt-4 sm:px-6 lg:hidden">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
             <ImageWithSkeleton
               src="/headshot.png"
               alt={`${name[0]?.first}&nbsp;${name[0]?.last}`}
               width={240}
               height={240}
-              containerClassName="h-24 w-24 rounded-2xl border border-border/50 shadow-sm"
+              containerClassName="h-20 w-20 rounded-xl border border-border/50 shadow-sm"
               className="object-cover"
               priority
             />
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ export function Sidebar() {
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {/* Desktop layout - clean and elegant sidebar */}
-      <div className="fixed bottom-4 left-4 top-24 hidden w-80 overflow-hidden rounded-3xl border border-border/60 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-xl lg:block">
+      {/* Desktop layout - pinned sidebar */}
+      <div className="fixed left-0 top-16 bottom-0 w-80 border-r border-border/50 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-md hidden lg:block">
         <div className="flex h-full flex-col">
           {/* Profile Section */}
           <div className="flex-shrink-0 border-b border-border/50 px-8 py-8">
diff --git a/src/components/ui/card.tsx b/src/components/ui/card.tsx
index 5590ef3..325cb0c 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/card.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ function Card({
       data-slot="card"
       data-size={size}
       className={cn(
-        "group/card flex flex-col gap-4 overflow-hidden rounded-lg bg-card py-4 text-sm text-card-foreground ring-1 ring-foreground/10 has-[>img:first-child]:pt-0 data-[size=sm]:gap-3 data-[size=sm]:py-3 *:[img:first-child]:rounded-t-lg *:[img:last-child]:rounded-b-lg",
+        "group/card flex flex-col gap-4 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl bg-card/80 py-4 text-sm text-card-foreground ring-1 ring-foreground/10 backdrop-blur-sm has-[>img:first-child]:pt-0 data-[size=sm]:gap-3 data-[size=sm]:py-3 *:[img:first-child]:rounded-t-2xl *:[img:last-child]:rounded-b-2xl",
         className
       )}
       {...props}
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ function CardHeader({ className, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<"div">) {
     <div
       data-slot="card-header"
       className={cn(
-        "group/card-header @container/card-header grid auto-rows-min items-start gap-1 rounded-t-lg px-4 group-data-[size=sm]/card:px-3 has-data-[slot=card-action]:grid-cols-[1fr_auto] has-data-[slot=card-description]:grid-rows-[auto_auto] [.border-b]:pb-4 group-data-[size=sm]/card:[.border-b]:pb-3",
+        "group/card-header @container/card-header grid auto-rows-min items-start gap-1 rounded-t-2xl px-4 group-data-[size=sm]/card:px-3 has-data-[slot=card-action]:grid-cols-[1fr_auto] has-data-[slot=card-description]:grid-rows-[auto_auto] [.border-b]:pb-4 group-data-[size=sm]/card:[.border-b]:pb-3",
         className
       )}
       {...props}
diff --git a/src/styles/globals.css b/src/styles/globals.css
index dcdb460..68bc3a1 100644
--- a/src/styles/globals.css
+++ b/src/styles/globals.css
@@ -118,4 +118,13 @@
 .animate-fade-in-up-delay-1 { animation: fade-in-up 0.5s ease-out 0.1s both; }
 .animate-fade-in-up-delay-2 { animation: fade-in-up 0.5s ease-out 0.2s both; }
 .animate-fade-in-up-delay-3 { animation: fade-in-up 0.5s ease-out 0.3s both; }
-.animate-fade-in-up-delay-4 { animation: fade-in-up 0.5s ease-out 0.4s both; }
\ No newline at end of file
+.animate-fade-in-up-delay-4 { animation: fade-in-up 0.5s ease-out 0.4s both; }
+
+@keyframes blob {
+  0%, 100% { transform: scale(1) translate(0px, 0px); }
+  25%  { transform: scale(1.08) translate(40px, -30px); }
+  50%  { transform: scale(0.94) translate(-25px, 50px); }
+  75%  { transform: scale(1.04) translate(35px, 30px); }
+}
+
+.animate-blob { animation: blob 9s ease-in-out infinite; }
\ No newline at end of file