Hi Everyone, I am sorry for the terrible "Help me" first post in a forum but I am getting to the end of my rope.
I'll post a TLDR at the bottom.

Background: My website is to promote Bento lunches and basically shares recipes, tips, packing suggestions and i'd like to eventually get a shop up and running to sell the products I use. My posts are usually based around an image on the prepared bento/meal/recipe, so ALL posts have an image. I installed K2 so I could add tags into my posts so they would be easy to search and also tie in together. I have collaborated an old blog I used into this new format as well, so i've had the fun task of going through and re-tagging everything.

Front page displays all the latest posts, from updates, recipes, lunches, meals etc. Everything shown in a typical 'Blog' format. On my left menu I have some scrollers with images that are clickable and link back to the items. A handy module I picked up. I have 2 scrollers, one for 'Lunches' and one for 'Meals'.

My Problem: I need to somehow display all my posts segregated so users can easily access them. I have a top menu link for each of them. When they click on one section i would like ALL my posts with images shown in an abbreviated form. Image, title and maybe tags. Pagination is a must.

I just need a 'grid' like display of my items with basic information. Image with optional title, tags, introduction text. Found a heap of modules/extensions for fancyfull scrolling, latest news etc. but none have pagination. I want this to be similar to a store, where the image is the focal point, but has to lead back to the item with full post.

What have I done: So before I get eyes rolling and people telling me to search or to try basic things these are the many different things I have done. (I have been on and off this for 3 weeks now).
I have made a category and changed settings around like a crazy woman. I will post screen shots of one I was SURE would work but looks like dogs breakfast.

Suggestions: I have thought of forgetting this category listing crap and trying to source an image gallery that will post back to the items. Is there one that exisits? Shows an image and title (maybe tags?) in a grid, then links to items as needed?

TLDR:
I just want a listing of everyhting in one category with an image, title and tags. I just don't understand what I am doing wrong. :(

Category settings (images are all set at 64px)



Menu Setting
(category has been set to inherit from category 'Content')



Front End View
(3 columns missing, no images showing, no tags showing... nothing?!)



Something similar to what I am hoping to achieve



Thanks in advance anyone who can give me a couple of minutes to read and reply.

Add an image to your items
Set the primary image size to small
Put a readmore in your items
in Item view in category settings set it to show the title,image,and introtext
Use firebug and find the proper css tag for your category image and set it to float left
If you cannot acheive what you want with the default layout create an override and customize things a bit in the category_item view

Hi NekoMama,

I have been working on a project very similar to yours & I have already created an overide template if your interested you can check it out here Sample it might need to be adjusted to display tags the way you want.

I would add 1 thing to Williams advice In Joomla Menu Manager / Your Category Menu / Page Display Options / I would add a Page Class so that you can change css styles just for that category.

Good luck Pete.

Thank you both for responding.

I have solved one issue, which was the image would only show if you added an image outside of the 'item text' area. Which would explain why no images were showing up at all, and why my computer almost went flying out the window.
I had images within the post itself, so I guess i'll have to go through and add images to everything, which could end up becoming a bit of a pain in the butt considering I was hoping to make it a bit more like 'facebooking' where I could just upload a pic with a brief description on the run. But if this is the only way i'll just have to grin and bear it.

Haven't fully got the float left down pat yet. I did use artisteer to help make the base template as I learned HTML back in the day and I haven't much time to sit and relearn CSS. (I do have a basic knowledge, but only self taught). Had to google firebug, sounds like a good extension to have. Thank you.

That template looks quite spot on for what I am after, I will see how I go with this first. Site has been down for almost 2 months now so I just have to get it back up before I loose followers. Why I decided it was a great idea to update to Joomla 2.5 is beyond me. It has been a heck of a hard task!

Thank you both again, and sorry for the little ramble. Nobody I know understands my torment at coding, and I remember every time why I stay away from it. Give me photoshop and illustrator any day!