Please visit http://www.donclarkemusicbox.simple-helix.net/

and look at the Categories-based menu in the right sidebar. I want these items to display with a common bg color. The old web site (hand coded, not AT) shows the idea in the left sidebar.

use 'background-color' and use the CSS selector 'div.widget ul li'. If you only want it for this widget, you need to look at the <div> and use the unique ID instead of the class.

I'll look at that ASAP but while I have your attention, i want donate (EVERY ONE SHOULD!!!) but I no longer use PayPal (after being one of their very early clients, they badly handled a dispute and I want them even less than they want me.)

So how can I get a donation to you? I'm in the USA.

use 'background-color' and use the CSS selector 'div.widget ul li'. If you only want it for this widget, you need to look at the <div> and use the unique ID instead of the class

Thanks for the help. I apologize that I am a bit dense on this. May I ask you to flesh out ayour answer?

Where exactly do you want me to put bg color? Let's say I want the text orange background: #DECD6A; on a red bg #d3222a for each item with the orange #DECD6A; as the sidebar bg.

I know how to set the sidebar bg,

ATO > Style and Configure Sidebar > (any sb) style sidebar background: #DECD6A;

But making a box around each menu item and controling the colors is beyond me.

in other words, look like this that I did in photoshop

FWIW, on the site http://www.donclarkemusicbox.simple-helix.net/ I have

ATO > Menu 2 (Category Menu)

open in front of me. Based on what I have found in these forums with a search, i gather that animation (whatever that is) is no longer possible in the current AT and WP combination. If i wrong, please correct?

I have changed "Border around all menu items" to 5x i hopes it might show up if bigger, but it does not affect the display on my site. It is also no longer working? Or am I not doing something?

I think my problem is I have been trying to put the Category menu in the right sidebar.

I just realized i have been ignoring the very specific information that the Menu settings are for the "menu bar". I am not using a horizontal menu bar on this site. Client doesn't want that.

Can't I put a configured category menu in a sidebar as a widget? I have put one there but have not been able to control its display.

why not create a wp custom menu using only categories then use the 'custom menu widget'?
Then you can target that widget and put your styling in the 'CSS Inserts'

Actually that's what I have done. The menu in the right sidebar at

http://www.donclarkemusicbox.simple-helix.net/

Is a Custom menu.

I recognize that my problem has been that I was blamking out the obvious fact that I was repeatedly trying to customize it using the (irrelevant) Category menu *bar*.

But I do not know how to write the CSS.

add to 'CSS Inserts'

div#nav_menu-4 ul li {
    background-color: green;
    border: 1px solid red;
    display: block;
    padding-bottom: 10px;
}

you will want to play with the values

I will try that as soon as I finish making my donation in appreciation and support.