diff --git a/src/components/Item.vue b/src/components/Item.vue
index 37cee5b..5cb88f0 100644
--- a/src/components/Item.vue
+++ b/src/components/Item.vue
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
         <div :style="style()" class="p-4 border-2 -mt-2px cursor-pointer bg-gray-200 border-gray-800 select-none relative z-20" :class="isSelected(0) ? 'selected shadow-md -mx-2' : ''" @click="select(0)" @mousedown="e => startDrag(e)" @touchstart="e => startDrag(e)">
             <div class="flex items-center">
                 <Avatar v-if="getContact(0)" v-bind="getContact(0)!" class="mr-2" />
-                <span class="bg-gray-300 px-2 py-1 rounded-2xl block overflow-hidden text-nowrap text-ellipsis">{{ item.threads[0].preview }}</span>
+                <span class="bg-gray-300 px-2 py-1 rounded-2xl block overflow-hidden text-nowrap text-ellipsis">
+                    <component :is="parseString(item.threads[0].preview)" />
+                </span>
                 <span class="grow" />
                 <span v-if="item.threads[0].count > 0" class="inline-flex items-center justify-center w-3 h-3 p-3 ms-3 text-sm font-medium text-blue-800 bg-blue-100 rounded-full dark:bg-blue-900 dark:text-blue-300">{{ item.threads[0].count }}</span>
                 <span v-else><FontAwesomeIcon class="w-6 h-6 text-lime-600" :icon="faCheck" /></span>
@@ -30,7 +32,9 @@
             <div class="p-4 border-2 -mt-2px cursor-pointer bg-slate-300 border-gray-800 select-none relative z-20" :class="isSelected(id) ? 'selected shadow-md -mx-2 thread' : ''" :style="style(parseInt(id as unknown as string))" @click="select(parseInt(id as unknown as string))" @mousemove="drag" @mousedown="e => startDrag(e, id as unknown as string)" @mouseup="endDrag" @touchmove="drag" @touchstart="e => startDrag(e, id as unknown as string)" @touchend="endDrag">
                 <div class="flex items-center">
                     <Avatar v-if="getContact(id)" v-bind="getContact(id)!" class="mr-2" />
-                    <span class="bg-gray-100 px-2 py-1 rounded-2xl block overflow-hidden text-nowrap text-ellipsis">{{ thread.preview }}</span>
+                    <span class="bg-gray-100 px-2 py-1 rounded-2xl block overflow-hidden text-nowrap text-ellipsis">
+                        <component :is="parseString(thread.preview)" />
+                    </span>
                     <span class="grow" />
                     <span v-if="thread.count > 1" class="inline-flex items-center justify-center w-3 h-3 p-3 ms-3 text-sm font-medium text-blue-800 bg-blue-100 rounded-full dark:bg-blue-900 dark:text-blue-300">{{ thread.count }}</span>
                 </div>
@@ -45,12 +49,13 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="tsx">
+import { faCheck, faClockRotateLeft } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
+import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/vue-fontawesome';
 import { computed, ref } from 'vue';
 import type { Item, ItemThread, ThreadRef } from "../state";
 import { items, sources } from '../state';
+import { parseString } from '../utils';
 import Avatar from './Avatar.vue';
-import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/vue-fontawesome';
-import { faCheck, faClockRotateLeft } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
 
 const props = defineProps<{
     item: Item;
diff --git a/src/components/PanelTitle.vue b/src/components/PanelTitle.vue
index f9251fe..ff989b8 100644
--- a/src/components/PanelTitle.vue
+++ b/src/components/PanelTitle.vue
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <template>
     <div class="w-full flex mb-4">
-        <div class="text-3xl shrink-0 grow">{{ title }}</div>
+        <div class="text-3xl grow">{{ title }}</div>
         <button @click="emits('toggleRead')">
             <FontAwesomeIcon class="w-6 h-6" :icon="isRead ? faEnvelopeOpen : faCheck" />
         </button>
diff --git a/src/components/Thread.vue b/src/components/Thread.vue
index 5736f1a..9c93bea 100644
--- a/src/components/Thread.vue
+++ b/src/components/Thread.vue
@@ -8,12 +8,19 @@
             <div v-if="i === threadItem.timeline.length - 1 || threadItem.timeline[i + 1].type !== 'message' || threadItem.timeline[i + 1].contact !== event.contact" style="max-width: 80%;" class="flex mb-2" :class="event.contact === sourceObj.selfContact ? 'self self-end flex-row-reverse' : 'other self-start'" @mousedown="start(i)" @mouseup="stop"  @contextmenu="e => openmenu(e, i)">
                 <Avatar v-if="event.contact !== sourceObj.selfContact" v-bind="sourceObj.contacts[event.contact]" class="self-end" />
                 <div class="flex flex-col">
-                    <span class="message px-2 py-1 flex items-center rounded-2xl" :class="getRoundedCornersClasses(i) + (event.contact === sourceObj.selfContact ? ' ml-13' : ' ml-2')">{{ event.message }}</span>
+                    <span :class="getRoundedCornersClasses(threadItem, sourceObj.selfContact, i) +
+                    ' message px-2 py-1 flex items-center rounded-2xl' +
+                    (event.contact === sourceObj.selfContact ? ' ml-13' : ' ml-2')">
+                        <component :is="parseMessage(threadItem, i)" />
+                    </span>
                     <span v-if="event.contact !== sourceObj.selfContact" class="author px-2 text-sm italic mx-2">{{ sourceObj.contacts[event.contact].name }}</span>
                 </div>
             </div>
             <div v-else class="flex mb-px" :class="event.contact === sourceObj.selfContact ? 'self self-end flex-row-reverse' : 'other self-start text-gray-200'" @mousedown="start(i)" @mouseup="stop" @contextmenu="e => openmenu(e, i)">
-                <span class="message px-2 py-1 flex items-center rounded-2xl ml-13" :class="getRoundedCornersClasses(i)">{{ event.message }}</span>
+                <span :class="getRoundedCornersClasses(threadItem, sourceObj.selfContact, i) +
+                ' message px-2 py-1 flex items-center rounded-2xl ml-13'">
+                    <component :is="parseMessage(threadItem, i)" />
+                </span>
             </div>
         </template>
         <div v-else-if="event.type === 'create-thread'" class="self-center mb-2 italic text-gray-500 text-center" @mousedown="start(i)" @mouseup="stop" @contextmenu="e => openmenu(e, i)">
@@ -23,7 +30,7 @@
             <button v-if="ownsMessage && event.type === 'message'" @click="startEditing">Edit</button>
             <button v-if="ownsMessage" @click="deleteMessage(i)">Delete</button>
             <button v-if="event.type === 'message'" @click="createThread(i)">Create thread</button>
-            <button v-if="event.type === 'message'">Create to do</button>
+            <button v-if="event.type === 'message'" @click="createToDo(i)">Create to do</button>
             <button v-if="event.type === 'message'">Add to garden</button>
         </div>
     </template>
@@ -33,11 +40,12 @@
 </form>
 </template>
 
-<script setup lang="ts">
+<script setup lang="tsx">
 import { computed, onUnmounted, ref, watch } from 'vue';
-import { items, sources } from '../state';
-import Avatar from './Avatar.vue';
 import { RouterLink, useRouter } from 'vue-router';
+import { items, sources } from '../state';
+import { getRoundedCornersClasses, parseMessage } from '../utils';
+import Avatar from './Avatar.vue';
 
 const router = useRouter();
 
@@ -91,19 +99,6 @@ function sendMessage() {
     return false;
 }
 
-function getRoundedCornersClasses(index: number) {
-    const contact = threadItem.value.timeline[index]?.contact;
-    if (contact == null) {
-        return "";
-    }
-    const side = contact === sourceObj.value.selfContact ? 'r' : 'l';
-    let classes = `rounded-b${side}-none`;
-    if (threadItem.value.timeline[index - 1] != null && threadItem.value.timeline[index - 1].type === 'message' && threadItem.value.timeline[index - 1].contact === contact) {
-        classes += ` rounded-t${side}-none`;
-    }
-    return classes;
-}
-
 const timeout = ref<number>();
 const selectedMessageIndex = ref<number>();
 
@@ -183,6 +178,46 @@ function createThread(event: number) {
     });
     router.push(`/source/${props.source}/${props.sourceItem}/${threadId}`);
 }
+
+function createToDo(event: number) {
+    const messageEvent = threadItem.value.timeline[event];
+    if (messageEvent.type !== "message") {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const sourceItem = Object.keys(sources.value[1].items).reduce((acc, curr) => Math.max(acc, parseInt(curr)), 0) + 1;
+    const message = `[[${props.source}/${props.sourceItem}/${props.thread}/${event}]]`;
+    const newItems = items.value.slice();
+    newItems.push({
+        source: 1,
+        sourceItem,
+        threads: {
+            0: {
+                count: 1,
+                preview: message,
+                updatedAt: Date.now(),
+                contact: 0,
+                category: 0
+            }
+        },
+        updatedAt: Date.now()
+    });
+    items.value = newItems;
+    sources.value[1].items[sourceItem] = {
+        id: sourceItem,
+        threads: {
+            0: {
+                id: 0,
+                timeline: [
+                    { type: "message", contact: 0, time: Date.now(), message }
+                ],
+                title: messageEvent.message
+            }
+        },
+        title: messageEvent.message
+    }
+    router.push(`/source/1/${sourceItem}/0`);
+}
 </script>
 
 <style scoped>
diff --git a/src/state.ts b/src/state.ts
index 98c1113..0306f8b 100644
--- a/src/state.ts
+++ b/src/state.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { computed, ref, watch } from "vue";
 import { mergeSortedLists } from "./utils";
 
-export type SourceType = "email" | "matrix" | "xmpp" | "rss" | "site";
+export type SourceType = "email" | "matrix" | "xmpp" | "rss" | "site" | "todo";
 
 export interface Item {
     source: number;
@@ -180,6 +180,35 @@ export const sources = ref<Record<number, Source>>({
             }
         },
         selfContact: 1
+    },
+    1: {
+        name: "Manual To Do Items",
+        type: "todo",
+        id: 1,
+        selfContact: 0,
+        items: {
+            0: {
+                id: 0,
+                threads: {
+                    0: {
+                        id: 0,
+                        timeline: [
+                            { type: "message", contact: 0, time: Date.now(), message: "In the full app I'd like to render this as a list of sub-items, with 'side threads' acting to nest sub-items" }
+                        ],
+                        title: "Finish Mockup"
+                    }
+                },
+                title: "Finish Mockup"
+            }
+        },
+        contacts: {
+            0: {
+                id: 0,
+                name: "TODO",
+                status: "unknown",
+                image: "https://picsum.photos/seed/avatar2/64"
+            }
+        }
     }
 });
 export const items = ref<Item[]>([
@@ -242,6 +271,20 @@ export const items = ref<Item[]>([
                 updatedAt: Date.now()
             }
         }
+    },
+    {
+        source: 1,
+        sourceItem: 0,
+        updatedAt: Date.now(),
+        threads: {
+            0: {
+                category: 0,
+                count: 1,
+                preview: "Finish Mockup",
+                contact: 0,
+                updatedAt: Date.now()
+            }
+        }
     }
 ]);
 export const unsortedItems = ref<Item[]>([]);
@@ -279,8 +322,6 @@ export const todoItems = computed(() =>
 );
 export const todoCategories = computed(() => categories.value.filter(c => ["urgent", "notify", "todo"].includes(c.priority) && Object.keys(c.activeItems).length > 0));
 
-watch(todoCategories, console.log)
-
 watch(
     items,
     items => {
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.tsx
similarity index 72%
rename from src/utils.ts
rename to src/utils.tsx
index f5e562b..296ff02 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Ref, computed, ref, watch } from "vue";
-import { RouteLocationNormalizedLoaded, Router } from "vue-router";
-import { MessageEvent, ThreadRef, items, sources } from "./state";
+import { RouteLocationNormalizedLoaded, Router, RouterLink } from "vue-router";
+import { MessageEvent, SourceThread, ThreadRef, items, sources } from "./state";
 
 // Modified from https://www.basedash.com/blog/how-to-merge-two-sorted-lists-in-javascript
 export function mergeSortedLists<T>(arr1: Array<T>, arr2: Array<T>): Array<T> {
@@ -152,3 +152,56 @@ export function setupSelectedThread(baseUrl: Ref<string>, route: RouteLocationNo
         toggleRead
     };
 }
+
+export function getRoundedCornersClasses(thread: SourceThread, selfContact: number, index: number) {
+    const contact = thread.timeline[index]?.contact;
+    if (contact == null) {
+        return "";
+    }
+    const side = contact === selfContact ? 'r' : 'l';
+    let classes = `rounded-b${side}-none`;
+    if (thread.timeline[index - 1] != null && thread.timeline[index - 1].type === 'message' && thread.timeline[index - 1].contact === contact) {
+        classes += ` rounded-t${side}-none`;
+    }
+    return classes;
+}
+
+export function parseMessage(thread: SourceThread, event: number) {    
+    const messageEvent = thread.timeline[event];
+    if (messageEvent.type !== "message") {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const message = messageEvent.message;
+    return parseString(message);
+}
+
+export function parseString(message: string) {
+    const messageRefs = message.matchAll(/\[\[[0-9]+\/[0-9]+\/[0-9]+\/[0-9]+\]\]/g);
+    let index = 0;
+    const parts = [];
+    for (const match of messageRefs) {
+        if (index !== match.index) {
+            parts.push(message.slice(index, match.index));
+        }
+        const numbers = match[0].slice(2, -2).split("/");
+        const sourceId = parseInt(numbers[0]);
+        const sourceItemId = parseInt(numbers[1]);
+        const threadId = parseInt(numbers[2]);
+        const messageId = parseInt(numbers[3]);
+        const referencedMessage = sources.value[sourceId].items[sourceItemId].threads[threadId].timeline[messageId];
+        if (referencedMessage.type === "message") {
+            parts.push(<span class="px-2 bg-emerald-200/25 rounded-2xl">
+            { referencedMessage.message }
+            <RouterLink class="text-slate-600 pl-2 text-sm" to={`/source/${sourceId}/${sourceItemId}/${threadId}`}>
+                goto message
+            </RouterLink>
+        </span>);
+        }
+        index = match.index + match[0].length;
+    }
+    if (index < message.length) {
+        parts.push(<span>{ message.slice(index) }</span>)
+    }
+    return <>{parts}</>;
+}