Question: How can I get the following styling code out of the html and into the CSS Inserts? It doesn't seem to work with the usual "#custom_div_name."

Site: www.socalpianoacademy.com/dev

HTML code on home page:
<div style="background: url('http://socalpianoacademy.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mission_doily.gif') no-repeat; display: block; width: 305px; height: 130px; font-size: 85%; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto;">
<p style="padding: 40px 40px; line-height: 1.4em;"><strong>Our Mission:</strong> To provide the highest quality and affordable piano and music education to all members of our Los Angeles community.</p>
</div>

Thanks,
Connie

You need to change the HTML to something like this

<div id="aa">
<p><strong>Our Mission:</strong> To provide the highest quality and affordable piano and music education to all members of our Los Angeles community.</p>
</div>

Then create a css selector to address the div

div#aa {...}

then code the css rules for all of this

style="background: url('http://socalpianoacademy.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mission_doily.gif') no-repeat; display: block; width: 305px; height: 130px; font-size: 85%; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto;"

then you need another CSS Selector for the <p>

div#aa p {...}

and code the rules for

style="padding: 40px 40px; line-height: 1.4em;"

Thank you! And though I've tried the same idea for sidebar text widgets, it's not working and I assume I just don't have the correct selector. Using Firebug inspector, the text widget I'd like to style is titled div#text-9. Should this then be the correct CSS?

div#text-9 {
border: 5px solid #cccccc;
background-color: #66cccc;
}

and

div#text-9 p {...formatting...}

1) I don't see that in your css inserts
2) check your css inserts for a syntax error - you have one

I think of myself as having an eagle-eye. How then did I miss the closing parenthesis instead of a closing bracket? I've donated to BFA before, but I have to send you something for saving me time torn-out hair.

You are wonderful - has anyone ever told you that??
- Connie Nassios