diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2fbf185..4c07573 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ A mongodb database named lizardboard must be created prior to starting the appli
 - brew install mongodb
 - Ensure `mongo` is running
 - yarn install
+- yarn start (start the server)
+
+Lizardboard needs an .env file to specify environment variables that are required to run the application.
+```
+echo MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost/lizardboard >> .env
+```
+
+## (Optional) Configuration for testing
+- recommended - utilize Postman and Robomongo to test api routing
+
 
 ## Technical Stack
 
@@ -31,4 +41,4 @@ A mongodb database named lizardboard must be created prior to starting the appli
 - [React](https://facebook.github.io/react/)
 
 ## Testing
-TBD
\ No newline at end of file
+TBD
diff --git a/bin/www b/bin/www
index 9a999cc..aede685 100755
--- a/bin/www
+++ b/bin/www
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ var app = require('../server/index');
 var debug = require('debug')('src:server');
 var http = require('http');
 
+const mongoose = require('mongoose')
+mongoose.Promise = global.Promise
+const connection = process.env.MONGODB_URI
 /**
  * Get port from environment and store in Express.
  */
@@ -15,6 +18,8 @@ var http = require('http');
 var port = normalizePort(process.env.PORT || '3000');
 app.set('port', port);
 
+mongoose.connect( connection )
+  .then( () => server.listen( port ) )
 /**
  * Create HTTP server.
  */
diff --git a/config/config.js b/config/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e71085d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+
+if( fs.existsSync( '.env' ) ) {
+  require( 'dotenv' ).config()
+} else {
+  console.log( ".env not found, skipping dotenv config" )
+}
diff --git a/models/dashboard.js b/models/dashboard.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c825500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/models/dashboard.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose')
+const { Schema } = mongoose
+
+const DashboardSchema = mongoose.Schema ({
+  user: {type: Number, ref: 'User'},
+  widgets: [{type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref:'Widget'}]
+})
+
+const Dashboard = mongoose.model('Dashboard', DashboardSchema)
+
+module.exports = Dashboard
diff --git a/models/user.js b/models/user.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b733b59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/models/user.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose')
+const { Schema } = mongoose
+
+const UserSchema = new Schema ({
+  username: String,
+})
+
+const User = mongoose.model( 'User', UserSchema )
+
+module.exports = User
diff --git a/models/widget.js b/models/widget.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0cc8f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/models/widget.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose')
+const { Schema } = mongoose
+
+const WidgetSchema = new Schema ({
+  type: String,
+  title: String,
+  size: String,
+  contents: String
+})
+
+const Widget = mongoose.model( 'Widget', WidgetSchema )
+
+module.exports = Widget
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5533364..84f39f3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,9 +21,10 @@
     "body-parser": "~1.15.1",
     "cookie-parser": "~1.4.3",
     "debug": "~2.2.0",
+    "dotenv": "^2.0.0",
     "ejs": "^2.5.2",
     "express": "~4.13.4",
-    "mongoose": "^4.6.5",
+    "mongoose": "^4.6.6",
     "morgan": "~1.7.0",
     "pug": "^2.0.0-beta6",
     "react": "^15.3.2",
diff --git a/routes/index.js b/routes/index.js
index 806b164..bed1042 100644
--- a/routes/index.js
+++ b/routes/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-const express = require('express');
-const router = express.Router();
+const express = require('express')
+const router = express.Router()
 
-/* GET home page. */
 router.get('/', (request, response, next) => {
-  response.render('index', { title: 'Dragonboard', logo: 'D' });
-});
+  response.render('index', { title: 'Dragonboard', logo: 'D' })
+})
 
-module.exports = router;
+module.exports = router
diff --git a/routes/users.js b/routes/users.js
index 4baa47e..e89a5fe 100644
--- a/routes/users.js
+++ b/routes/users.js
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
-const express = require('express');
-const router = express.Router();
+const express = require('express')
+const router = express.Router()
+const mongoose = require('mongoose')
+const User = require('../models/user.js')
 
-/* GET users listing. */
-router.get('/', (request, response, next) => {
-  response.send('respond with a resource');
-});
+router.post( '/', (request, response, next ) => {
+  User.create( request.body )
+  .then( user => response.json( user ) )
+  .catch( error => next( error ) )
+})
 
-module.exports = router;
+module.exports = router
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index 3d4d5c1..884d7fd 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ const logger = require('morgan');
 const cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
 const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
 
+const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
+const config = require(__dirname + '/../config/config.js')[env];
 const routes = require('../routes/index');
 const users = require('../routes/users');
 
 const appRoot = process.env.APP_ROOT
 const app = express();
-
 // view engine setup
 app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, '../views'));
 app.set('view engine', 'pug');
@@ -70,4 +71,4 @@ app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
 });
 
 
-module.exports = app;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports = app;
diff --git a/views/layout.pug b/views/layout.pug
index d6daa39..f541f17 100644
--- a/views/layout.pug
+++ b/views/layout.pug
@@ -22,5 +22,3 @@ html
     div.footer-nav
 
     include footer
-    script(src="/javascripts/index.js")
-    script(src="/public/javascripts/index.js")
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 53dcb99..413a620 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ async@~0.2.6:
   version "0.2.10"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/async/-/async-0.2.10.tgz#b6bbe0b0674b9d719708ca38de8c237cb526c3d1"
 
-async@2.0.1:
-  version "2.0.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/async/-/async-2.0.1.tgz#b709cc0280a9c36f09f4536be823c838a9049e25"
+async@2.1.2:
+  version "2.1.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/async/-/async-2.1.2.tgz#612a4ab45ef42a70cde806bad86ee6db047e8385"
   dependencies:
-    lodash "^4.8.0"
+    lodash "^4.14.0"
 
 asynckit@^0.4.0:
   version "0.4.0"
@@ -916,6 +916,10 @@ doctypes@^1.1.0:
   version "1.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/doctypes/-/doctypes-1.1.0.tgz#ea80b106a87538774e8a3a4a5afe293de489e0a9"
 
+dotenv:
+  version "2.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/dotenv/-/dotenv-2.0.0.tgz#bd759c357aaa70365e01c96b7b0bec08a6e0d949"
+
 duplexer@~0.1.1:
   version "0.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/duplexer/-/duplexer-0.1.1.tgz#ace6ff808c1ce66b57d1ebf97977acb02334cfc1"
@@ -1681,7 +1685,11 @@ lodash.restparam@^3.0.0:
   version "3.6.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.restparam/-/lodash.restparam-3.6.1.tgz#936a4e309ef330a7645ed4145986c85ae5b20805"
 
-lodash@^4.2.0, lodash@^4.8.0:
+lodash@^4.14.0:
+  version "4.16.6"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash/-/lodash-4.16.6.tgz#d22c9ac660288f3843e16ba7d2b5d06cca27d777"
+
+lodash@^4.2.0:
   version "4.16.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash/-/lodash-4.16.5.tgz#77d88feac548009b1a5c4ca7b49ac431ce346ae8"
 
@@ -1798,11 +1806,11 @@ mongodb@2.2.11:
     mongodb-core "2.0.13"
     readable-stream "2.1.5"
 
-mongoose@^4.6.5:
-  version "4.6.5"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/mongoose/-/mongoose-4.6.5.tgz#74eed37312e557c391d428c0cf3c8b8eb8959515"
+mongoose:
+  version "4.6.6"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/mongoose/-/mongoose-4.6.6.tgz#62817b63804dcefd2e5c6f7e6a9bb68e30811968"
   dependencies:
-    async "2.0.1"
+    async "2.1.2"
     bson "~0.5.4"
     hooks-fixed "1.2.0"
     kareem "1.1.3"