1. CSS Sprites: merge all of your images into one large image so when your page loads, it makes one request for the css sprite. When the right pixels are found by the user, your images will appear straight away without being pixelated as the CSS sprite would have loaded at the start so the web page will not need to load a new request
2. jQuery (javascript framework): This is a great JS framework that is easy to implement that will allow you to start displaying your images using "Star Wars" type effects! e.g. http://jqueryui.com/demos/show/#default
3. source control: if you want to get into programming, you should look into using source control to manage your code... even if you're starting off using html and css, it's good practice. Later on when you start doing some complex stuff, you'll find that it'll save your bacon more than a few times. I would recommend using git because all the cool kids are. Just sign-up for a free account at http://github.com and you should be right with their great documentation
All the best, Star Wars fan at heart!
i dont want to get into a git vs svn debate here so I won't even begin to list reasons for my preference