General Question about formatting Template

I have Tripod as a homepage editor. In cutting and pasting the code into my editor I noticed the formatting was all to the left. I am beginning to use CSS in the div form to begin. So far I have only used it sectionally using basic HTML as my main code source. My question, which is 2-fold and will probably be obvious to everyone but me is....

1. When I open my editor the site provides and requires that you use the beginning formatting they have supplied, ie, opening html codes, head, title, body, and color codes for background, text, link, vlink, which of course can be changed. I have deleted that code in some instances, so I am not intimidated by that rule. But I have never used a template and I am just in the beginning stages of learning CSS, so I am not sure as to how to approach the actual formatting of the template. Do I keep the provided start coding?

2. I am using the travel template and my end result hopefully will be to manipulate it to serve a Scrapbooking E-Store and Message Board Front Page to the Web. It does provide the basic of what I am looking for in the way of design and setup in the way of links, etc. I have all the urls I need to make those changes, images will be developed and applied, I do understand all that, but the actual formatting is where I honestly do not know where to start.

I have been reading and reading and simply am unable to find anything which will guide me in the posts. I will continue to read and search and experiment. Right about now my eyes are bleeding tears, heheh, from all the reading and my brain is on information overload! I just need a solid starting point of information to begin making the changes.

Truly from the bottom of my heart I will appreciate any direction and guidance which can be provided to me. Pssst...I know, I am very wordy
If you have read this far, Thank you!!!!