SO... i think i've finally got a satisfactory grid + flexbox layout WITH responsive design for smaller devices -- anything under 500px switches to block/row display. I tested it out using the Chrome & Firefox consoles, and also my phone. please feel free to test it on your device(s) too
i've got two options: one with the header & footer as bookends, and the other w/ navigation & sidebar
gonna sit with these awhile, try and get some feedback before i implement. background colors are temporary visual aids. anyways, i want a vertical sliding navigation menu (buttons on the left column) to come down from the header in v1, and then in the @media rule (responsive) it'll stay there