diff --git a/layouts/_default/list.html b/layouts/_default/list.html
index 856a388..98f56b9 100644
--- a/layouts/_default/list.html
+++ b/layouts/_default/list.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
                 <!-- Ranges through content/post/*.md -->
                 {{ range .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate }} {{ if not (eq .Section "blog") }}
                 <li>
-                    <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }} | {{.Title}}</a>
+                    <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }} | {{.Title}}</a>
                 </li>
                 {{ end }} {{ end }}
             </ul>
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@
     })
 </script>
 
-</body>
\ No newline at end of file
+</body>
diff --git a/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html b/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html
index 4130450..383bc3f 100644
--- a/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html
+++ b/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
                 <!-- Ranges through content/post/*.md -->
                 {{ range .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate }}
                 <li>
-                    <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }} | {{.Title}}</a>
+                    <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }} | {{.Title}}</a>
                 </li>
                 {{ end }}
             </ul>
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@
     })
 </script>
 
-</body>
\ No newline at end of file
+</body>
diff --git a/layouts/blog/list.html b/layouts/blog/list.html
index 6597d86..8da589e 100644
--- a/layouts/blog/list.html
+++ b/layouts/blog/list.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <div class="section" id="top"><!-- Parent section -->
 
     <div class="container hero {{ if .Site.Params.fadeIn }} fade-in one {{ end }}"><!-- Begin Title -->
-    <h1 class="bold-title is-1">{{ .Site.Params.blogHead }}</h1>
+    <h1 class="bold-title is-1">{{ .Site.Params.blogHead | default "Blog" }}</h1>
     </div><!-- End Title -->
 
     <!-- Everything below fades in two! -->
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@
     <div class="container"><!-- Begin Nav bar -->
     {{ partial "nav-list.html" . }}
     </div><!-- End Nav bar -->
-       
+
     <div class="container"><!-- Begin Blog container -->
 
     {{ if .Site.Params.showLatest }}
     <h2 class="title is-2 top-pad">Latest Post</h2>
-        {{ range first 1 (where .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse "Section" "blog") }} 
-        <div class="summary">{{ .Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }}
+        {{ range first 1 (where .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse "Section" "blog") }}
+        <div class="summary">{{ .Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }}
             <h3 class="title is-3 strong-post-title"><a href="{{ .RelPermalink }}">{{ .Title }}</a></h3>
                 <div class="markdown">
                 {{ .Summary }}
diff --git a/layouts/blog/single.html b/layouts/blog/single.html
index 09600c2..fe9565b 100644
--- a/layouts/blog/single.html
+++ b/layouts/blog/single.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <div class="section" id="top"><!-- Parent section -->
 
     <div class="container hero {{ if .Site.Params.fadeIn }} fade-in one {{ end }}"><!-- Begin Title -->
-    <h1 class="bold-title is-1">{{ .Site.Params.blogHead }}</h1>
+    <h1 class="bold-title is-1">{{ .Site.Params.blogHead | default "Blog" }}</h1>
     </div><!-- End Title -->
 
 <!-- Everything below fades in two! -->
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     <div class="container {{ if .Site.Params.fadeIn }} fade-in two {{ end }}"><!-- Begin blog title container -->
         <h2 class="title is-1 top-pad strong-post-title"><a href="{{ .Permalink }}">{{ .Title }}</a></h2>
             <div class="post-data">
-                {{ .Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }} |
+                {{ .Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }} |
                 {{ if eq 1 .ReadingTime }}{{ .ReadingTime }} minute read{{ else }}{{ .ReadingTime }} minutes read{{ end }}
             </div>
 
@@ -87,4 +87,4 @@ $('a[href^="{{ .Permalink }}#"]').click(function(e) {
 })
 </script>
 
-</body>
\ No newline at end of file
+</body>
diff --git a/layouts/index.html b/layouts/index.html
index ffa2a2d..5d922c1 100644
--- a/layouts/index.html
+++ b/layouts/index.html
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 
 <div id="top"> <!-- Where all the awesome begins -->
 
-<div class="hero is-{{ .Site.Params.introHeight }}">
+<div class="hero is-{{ .Site.Params.introHeight | default "fullheight" }}">
 <!-- Possible hero-head not used -->
     <!-- Super sweet Hero body title -->
     <div class="hero-body">
         <div class="container has-text-centered">
             <!-- Title and tagline -->
             <h1 class="bold-title {{ if .Site.Params.fadeIn }}fade-in one{{ end }}">
-                Hi, I'm {{ .Site.Params.firstName }}.
+                Hi, I'm {{ .Site.Params.firstName | default "Introduction" }}.
             </h1>
             <h3 class="subtitle is-3 {{ if.Site.Params.fadeIn }} fade-in two{{ end }}">
                 {{ .Site.Params.tagLine }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/blogsection.html b/layouts/partials/blogsection.html
index 4b5377e..886cdf7 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/blogsection.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/blogsection.html
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 {{ if .Site.Params.showLatest }}
 <h2 class="title is-2 has-text-centered">Latest Post</h2>
-    {{ range first 1 (where .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse "Section" "blog") }} 
-    <div class="summary">{{ .Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }}
+    {{ range first 1 (where .Data.Pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse "Section" "blog") }}
+    <div class="summary">{{ .Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }}
         <h3 class="title is-3 latest-post-title"><a href="{{ .RelPermalink }}">{{ .Title }}</a></h3>
             <div class="markdown">
             {{ .Summary }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/header.html b/layouts/partials/header.html
index 951bfc7..c8eb9ee 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/header.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/header.html
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
 {{ if .Site.Params.cacheBuster }}
 
     {{ $t := now.Unix }}
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/{{ .Site.Params.themeStyle }}-style.css?t={{$t}}">
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/{{ .Site.Params.themeStyle | default "dark" }}-style.css?t={{$t}}">
     {{range .Site.Params.extraCSSFiles}}
         <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{.}}?t={{$t}}">
     {{ end }}
 
 {{ else }}
 
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/{{ .Site.Params.themeStyle }}-style.css">
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/{{ .Site.Params.themeStyle | default "dark" }}-style.css">
     {{range .Site.Params.extraCSSFiles}}
         <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{.}}">
     {{end}}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/li.html b/layouts/partials/li.html
index 8761d7c..1e26736 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/li.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/li.html
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <li class="post-item">
-    <span><a href="{{ .Permalink }}">{{ .Title }}</a></span> - <span>{{ .Date.Format .Site.Params.dateForm }}</span>
-</li>
\ No newline at end of file
+    <span><a href="{{ .Permalink }}">{{ .Title }}</a></span> - <span>{{ .Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateform | default "Jan 02, 2006") }}</span>
+</li>
diff --git a/layouts/partials/projects.html b/layouts/partials/projects.html
index eca447e..74539af 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/projects.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/projects.html
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
     <div class="section is-small">
         <div class="columns is-multiline">
             {{ range sort .Pages }} {{ if eq .Section "projects" }}
-            {{ if eq .Site.Params.projectColumns "2" }}
-            <div class="column is-half"> {{ else if eq .Site.Params.projectColumns "3" }}
+            {{ if eq (.Site.Params.projectColumns | default "3") "2" }}
+            <div class="column is-half"> {{ else if eq (.Site.Params.projectColumns | default "3") "3" }}
             <div class="column is-one-third"> {{ end }}
                 <!-- Hey Vicky, show half column if number is even. -->
                 <div {{ if not .Params.external_link }} id="project{{.Title | urlize}}" {{ end }} class="card">