return { "mellow-theme/mellow.nvim",
  reqs = "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
  load = function()
    vim.g.mellow_variant = "dark"
    local c = require("mellow.colors")[vim.g.mellow_variant]

    if vim.g.mellow_variant == "dark" then
      vim.g.mellow_highlight_overrides = {
        -- stop inactive windows from having a darker bg
        ["NormalNC"] = { link = "Normal" },

        -- revert change with statusline coloring
        ["StatusLine"] = { fg = c.white, bg = c.gray01 },
        ["StatusLineNC"] = { fg = c.bg_dark },

        -- make splits look cleaner
        ["WinSeparator"] = { fg = c.gray01 },

        -- make floats darker
        ["NormalFloat"] = { fg = c.fg, bg = "#111111" },
        ["FloatBorder"] = { link = "NormalFloat" },

				-- Make pmenu look good
				["Pmenu"] = { link = "NormalFloat" },
				["PmenuSel"] = { link = "Normal" },
				["PmenuKind"] = { link = "@constant" },
				["PmenuKindSel"] = {
					fg = core.color.copyhl("Comment").fg,
					bold = true
				},

        -- make diagnostics have an undercurl
        ["DiagnosticUnderlineError"] = { fg = c.red, undercurl = true },
        ["DiagnosticUnderlineWarn"] = { fg = c.yellow, undercurl = true },
        ["DiagnosticUnderlineInfo"] = { fg = c.blue, undercurl = true },
        ["DiagnosticUnderlineHint"] = { fg = c.cyan, undercurl = true },
        ["DiagnosticHint"] = { fg = c.cyan }, -- revert

        -- telescope styling so I can see when coding outside (real)
        ["TelescopeResultsNormal"] = { bg = c.bg_dark },
        ["TelescopeResultsBorder"] = { link = "TelescopeResultsNormal" },
        ["TelescopeResultsTitle"] = { bg = c.bg, fg = c.bg },
        ["TelescopePreviewNormal"] = { link = "NormalFloat" },
        ["TelescopePreviewBorder"] = { link = "TelescopePreviewNormal" },

				-- add highlight groups for my todo highlighting
				["TodoTODO"] = { link = "DiagnosticHint" },
				["TodoTODOBG"] = { fg = c.bg, bg = c.cyan, bold = true },
				["TodoTODOSIGN"] = { fg = c.cyan, bg = c.cyan, bold = true },
				["TodoBUG"] = { link = "DiagnosticError" },
				["TodoBUGBG"] = { fg = c.bg, bg = c.red, bold = true },
				["TodoBUGSIGN"] = { fg = c.red, bg = c.red, bold = true },
				["TodoTEST"] = { link = "DiagnosticInfo" },
				["TodoTESTBG"] = { fg = c.bg, bg = c.blue, bold = true },
				["TodoTESTSIGN"] = { fg = c.blue, bg = c.blue, bold = true },
				["TodoWARN"] = { link = "DiagnosticWarn" },
				["TodoWARNBG"] = { fg = c.bg, bg = c.yellow, bold = true },
				["TodoWARNSIGN"] = { fg = c.yellow, bg = c.yellow, bold = true },
      }
    end
  end
}