diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 651860b..b30a74e 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ require "statusline"
 require("colorizer").setup()
 require("neoscroll").setup() -- smooth scroll
 
--- lsp
+-- lsp stuff
 require "nvim-lspconfig"
 require "compe-completion"
 
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@ g.mapleader = " "
 g.auto_save = 0
 
 -- colorscheme related stuff
-
 cmd "syntax on"
 
 local base16 = require "base16"
 base16(base16.themes["onedark"], true)
 
+require "custom_highlights"
+
 -- blankline
 
 local indent = 2
@@ -33,8 +34,6 @@ local indent = 2
 g.indentLine_enabled = 1
 g.indent_blankline_char = "▏"
 
-cmd "hi IndentBlanklineChar guifg=#2a2e36"
-
 g.indent_blankline_filetype_exclude = {"help", "terminal"}
 g.indent_blankline_buftype_exclude = {"terminal"}
 
@@ -44,15 +43,6 @@ g.indent_blankline_show_first_indent_level = false
 require "treesitter-nvim"
 require "mappings"
 
--- highlights --
-cmd "hi LineNr guifg=#42464e"
-cmd "hi Comment guifg=#42464e"
-
-cmd "hi VertSplit guifg=#2a2e36"
-cmd "hi EndOfBuffer guifg=#1e222a"
-cmd "hi PmenuSel guibg=#98c379"
-cmd "hi Pmenu  guibg=#282c34"
-
 require "telescope-nvim"
 require "nvimTree"
 
@@ -66,11 +56,5 @@ vim.api.nvim_exec([[
    au BufEnter term://* setlocal nonumber
 ]], false)
 
--- inactive statuslines as thin splitlines
-cmd("highlight! StatusLineNC gui=underline guifg=#383c44")
-
-cmd "hi clear CursorLine"
-cmd "hi cursorlinenr guifg=#abb2bf"
-
 -- setup for TrueZen.nvim
 require "zenmode"
diff --git a/lua/custom_highlights.lua b/lua/custom_highlights.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34a7017
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/custom_highlights.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+local cmd = vim.cmd
+-- blankline
+
+cmd "hi IndentBlanklineChar guifg=#383c44"
+
+-- misc --
+cmd "hi LineNr guifg=#42464e"
+cmd "hi Comment guifg=#42464e"
+cmd "hi NvimInternalError guifg=#f9929b"
+cmd "hi VertSplit guifg=#2a2e36"
+cmd "hi EndOfBuffer guifg=#1e222a"
+
+-- Pmenu
+cmd "hi PmenuSel guibg=#98c379"
+cmd "hi Pmenu  guibg=#282c34"
+cmd "hi PmenuSbar guibg =#353b45"
+cmd "hi PmenuThumb guibg =#81A1C1"
+
+-- inactive statuslines as thin splitlines
+cmd("highlight! StatusLineNC gui=underline guifg=#383c44")
+
+-- line n.o
+cmd "hi clear CursorLine"
+cmd "hi cursorlinenr guifg=#abb2bf"
+
+-- git signs ---
+cmd "hi DiffAdd guifg=#81A1C1 guibg = none"
+cmd "hi DiffChange guifg =#3A3E44 guibg = none"
+cmd "hi DiffModified guifg = #81A1C1 guibg = none"
+
+-- NvimTree
+cmd "hi NvimTreeFolderIcon guifg = #61afef"
+cmd "hi NvimTreeFolderName guifg = #61afef"
+cmd "hi NvimTreeIndentMarker guifg=#383c44"
+cmd "hi NvimTreeNormal guibg=#1b1f27"
+cmd "hi NvimTreeVertSplit guifg=#1e222a"
+cmd "hi NvimTreeRootFolder guifg=#f9929b"
+
+-- telescope
+cmd "hi TelescopeBorder   guifg=#2a2e36"
+cmd "hi TelescopePromptBorder   guifg=#2a2e36"
+cmd "hi TelescopeResultsBorder  guifg=#2a2e36"
+cmd "hi TelescopePreviewBorder  guifg=#525865"
+
+-- LspDiagnostics ---
+
+-- error / warnings
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignError guifg=#f9929b"
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextError guifg=#BF616A"
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignWarning guifg=#EBCB8B"
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextWarning guifg=#EBCB8B"
+
+-- info
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignInformation guifg=#A3BE8C"
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextInformation guifg=#A3BE8C"
+
+-- hint
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignHint guifg=#b6bdca"
+cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextHint guifg=#b6bdca"
diff --git a/lua/gitsigns-nvim.lua b/lua/gitsigns-nvim.lua
index 83bf7d7..1fa4325 100644
--- a/lua/gitsigns-nvim.lua
+++ b/lua/gitsigns-nvim.lua
@@ -25,9 +25,3 @@ require("gitsigns").setup {
     sign_priority = 5,
     status_formatter = nil -- Use default
 }
-
-local cmd = vim.cmd
-
-cmd "hi DiffAdd guifg=#81A1C1 guibg = none"
-cmd "hi DiffChange guifg =#3A3E44 guibg = none"
-cmd "hi DiffModified guifg = #81A1C1 guibg = none"
diff --git a/lua/nvim-lspconfig.lua b/lua/nvim-lspconfig.lua
index 3c5faa9..13a111e 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-lspconfig.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-lspconfig.lua
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ for k, lang in pairs(servers) do
     }
 end
 
--- remove the lsp servers with their configs you don want
+-- vls example
 local vls_binary = '/usr/local/bin/vls'
 require'lspconfig'.vls.setup {
   cmd = {vls_binary},
@@ -88,19 +88,3 @@ vim.fn.sign_define("LspDiagnosticsSignError", {text = "", numhl = "LspDiagnos
 vim.fn.sign_define("LspDiagnosticsSignWarning", {text = "", numhl = "LspDiagnosticsDefaultWarning"})
 vim.fn.sign_define("LspDiagnosticsSignInformation", {text = "", numhl = "LspDiagnosticsDefaultInformation"})
 vim.fn.sign_define("LspDiagnosticsSignHint", {text = "", numhl = "LspDiagnosticsDefaultHint"})
-
--- diagnostics highlights
-
-local cmd = vim.cmd
-
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignError guifg=#f9929b"
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextError guifg=#BF616A"
-
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignWarning guifg=#EBCB8B"
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextWarning guifg=#EBCB8B"
-
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignInformation guifg=#A3BE8C"
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextInformation guifg=#A3BE8C"
-
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsSignHint guifg=#b6bdca"
-cmd "hi LspDiagnosticsVirtualTextHint guifg=#b6bdca"
diff --git a/lua/nvimTree.lua b/lua/nvimTree.lua
index 9220fa7..137b986 100644
--- a/lua/nvimTree.lua
+++ b/lua/nvimTree.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-
-local cmd = vim.cmd
 local g = vim.g
 
 vim.o.termguicolors = true
@@ -84,10 +82,3 @@ g.nvim_tree_bindings = {
     ["-"] = get_lua_cb("dir_up"),
     ["q"] = get_lua_cb("close")
 }
-
-cmd "hi NvimTreeFolderIcon guifg = #61afef"
-cmd "hi NvimTreeFolderName guifg = #61afef"
-cmd "hi NvimTreeIndentMarker guifg=#383c44"
-cmd "hi NvimTreeNormal guibg=#1b1f27"
-cmd "hi NvimTreeVertSplit guifg=#1e222a"
-cmd "hi NvimTreeRootFolder guifg=#f9929b"
diff --git a/lua/statusline.lua b/lua/statusline.lua
index ad3d9df..6d3013b 100644
--- a/lua/statusline.lua
+++ b/lua/statusline.lua
@@ -7,15 +7,8 @@ local colors = {
     bg = "#1e222a",
     line_bg = "#1e222a",
     fg = "#D8DEE9",
-    fg_green = "#65a380",
-    yellow = "#A3BE8C",
-    cyan = "#22262C",
-    darkblue = "#61afef",
     green = "#BBE67E",
     orange = "#FF8800",
-    purple = "#252930",
-    magenta = "#c678dd",
-    blue = "#22262C",
     red = "#DF8890",
     lightbg = "#282c34",
     nord = "#81A1C1",
@@ -135,7 +128,7 @@ gls.left[12] = {
     DiagnosticWarn = {
         provider = "DiagnosticWarn",
         icon = "  ",
-        highlight = {colors.blue, colors.bg}
+        highlight = {colors.red, colors.bg}
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/lua/telescope-nvim.lua b/lua/telescope-nvim.lua
index 744cb7b..b338935 100644
--- a/lua/telescope-nvim.lua
+++ b/lua/telescope-nvim.lua
@@ -73,12 +73,3 @@ vim.api.nvim_set_keymap("n", "<Leader>fb", [[<Cmd>lua require('telescope.builtin
 vim.api.nvim_set_keymap("n", "<Leader>fh", [[<Cmd>lua require('telescope.builtin').help_tags()<CR>]], opt)
 vim.api.nvim_set_keymap("n", "<Leader>fo", [[<Cmd>lua require('telescope.builtin').oldfiles()<CR>]], opt)
 vim.api.nvim_set_keymap("n", "<Leader>fm", [[<Cmd> Neoformat<CR>]], opt)
-
--- highlights 
-
-local cmd = vim.cmd
-
-cmd "hi TelescopeBorder   guifg=#2a2e36"
-cmd "hi TelescopePromptBorder   guifg=#2a2e36"
-cmd "hi TelescopeResultsBorder  guifg=#2a2e36"
-cmd "hi TelescopePreviewBorder  guifg=#525865"