.aj-blog {
  --blue: #050024;
  --blue-mid: #0d0540;
  --gold: #eebb38;
  --gold-dark: #c49a1a;
  --turquoise: #00becc;
  --cream: #f3efe8;
  --lavender: #bbbadb;
  --text: #1e1a2e;
  --text-soft: #4f5870;
  --text-mid: #3b4157;
  --card-bg: #eef4f4;
  --card-border: rgba(5, 0, 36, 0.10);
  --card-top: #a9cfd2;
  --featured-text: rgba(243, 239, 232, 0.88);
  --featured-date: rgba(243, 239, 232, 0.68);

  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  max-width: 860px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  color: var(--text);
}

.aj-blog p,
.aj-blog li,
.aj-blog a,
.aj-blog span {
  font-weight: 400;
}

/* Loading / error */
.aj-blog__loading {
  text-align: center;
  padding: 56px 24px;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 400;
  color: var(--text-mid);
}

.aj-blog__loading-dot {
  display: inline-block;
  animation: blink 1.2s infinite;
}

.aj-blog__loading-dot:nth-child(2) {
  animation-delay: 0.2s;
}

.aj-blog__loading-dot:nth-child(3) {
  animation-delay: 0.4s;
}

@keyframes blink {
  0%, 80%, 100% { opacity: 0; }
  40% { opacity: 1; }
}

.aj-blog__error {
  text-align: center;
  padding: 40px 24px;
  font-size: 17px;
  font-weight: 400;
  color: var(--text-mid);
  background: #eef4f4;
  border-radius: 8px;
  border: 1px solid rgba(5, 0, 36, 0.10);
}

/* Header */
.aj-blog__header {
  display: flex;
  align-items: flex-end;
  justify-content: space-between;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  gap: 16px;
  margin-bottom: 36px;
  padding-bottom: 20px;
  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(5, 0, 36, 0.12);
}

.aj-blog__header-left {}

.aj-blog__eyebrow {
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: 0.16em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: var(--turquoise);
  margin: 0 0 8px;
}

.aj-blog__title {
  font-family:'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  font-size: clamp(24px, 3vw, 32px);
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--blue);
  margin: 0;
  line-height: 1.2;
}

.aj-blog__substack-link {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 8px;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--text);
  text-decoration: none;
  transition: color 0.2s;
  white-space: nowrap;
}

.aj-blog__substack-link svg {
  width: 18px;
  height: 18px;
  fill: var(--text);
  transition: fill 0.2s;
}

.aj-blog__substack-link:hover,
.aj-blog__substack-link:hover svg {
  color: var(--gold);
  fill: var(--gold);
  text-decoration: none;
}

/* Featured section */
.aj-blog__featured {
  background: var(--blue);
  border-radius: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  margin-top: 0;
  margin-bottom: 36px;
  position: relative;
  width: 100vw;
  margin-left: calc(50% - 50vw);
}

.aj-blog__featured::before {
  display: none;
  content: none;
}

.aj-blog__featured-inner {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 1;
  padding: 52px 48px 46px;
  max-width: 956px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

.aj-blog__featured-tag {
  display: inline-block;
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: 0.16em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: var(--turquoise);
  margin-bottom: 16px;
}

.aj-blog__featured-post-title {
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  font-size: clamp(24px, 3vw, 34px);
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--cream);
  line-height: 1.28;
  margin: 0 0 10px;
  letter-spacing: 0.01em;
}

.aj-blog__featured-date {
  font-size: 17px;
  font-weight: 500;
  color: var(--featured-date);
  margin: 0 0 22px;
}

.aj-blog__featured-excerpt {
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 400;
  color: var(--featured-text);
  line-height: 1.75;
  margin: 0 0 30px;
  max-width: 700px;
}

.aj-blog__btn {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 9px;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, var(--gold) 0%, var(--gold-dark) 100%);
  color: var(--blue);
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.07em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  text-decoration: none;
  padding: 16px 36px;
  border-radius: 40px;
  box-shadow: 0 5px 20px rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.22);
  transition: transform 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s;
}

.aj-blog__btn:hover {
  transform: translateY(-2px);
  box-shadow: 0 10px 28px rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.38);
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--blue);
}

.aj-blog__btn svg {
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  fill: var(--blue);
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

/* Rule */
.aj-blog__rule {
  width: 250px;
  height: 2px;
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, var(--turquoise), var(--gold));
  border: none;
  margin: 0 auto 32px;
}

/* Cards */
.aj-blog__cards-heading {
  text-align: center;
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: 0.16em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: var(--text);
  opacity: 0.9;
  margin: 0 0 20px;
}

.aj-blog__grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
  gap: 18px;
}

.aj-blog__card {
  background: var(--card-bg);
  border: 1px solid var(--card-border);
  border-top: 3px solid var(--card-top);
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 26px 28px 24px;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 12px;
  transition: border-top-color 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s, transform 0.2s;
}

.aj-blog__card:hover {
  border-top-color: var(--gold);
  box-shadow: 0 6px 24px rgba(5, 0, 36, 0.08);
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}

.aj-blog__card-date {
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 500;
  letter-spacing: 0.06em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: #436173;
}

.aj-blog__card-title {
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  font-size: 20px;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--blue);
  line-height: 1.34;
  margin: 0;
}

.aj-blog__card-excerpt {
  font-size: 17px;
  font-weight: 400;
  color: var(--text-mid);
  line-height: 1.7;
  margin: 0;
  flex: 1;
}

.aj-blog__card-btn {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 7px;
  align-self: flex-start;
  margin-top: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--blue);
  text-decoration: none;
  border-bottom: 2px solid var(--gold);
  padding-bottom: 1px;
  transition: color 0.2s, border-color 0.2s;
}

.aj-blog__card-btn:hover {
  color: var(--gold-dark);
  border-color: var(--gold-dark);
  text-decoration: none;
}

.aj-blog__card-btn svg {
  width: 14px;
  height: 14px;
  fill: currentColor;
}

/* Subscribe */
./* Subscribe */
.aj-blog__subscribe {
  margin-top: 38px;
  background: var(--blue);
  border-radius: 10px;
  padding: 34px 40px;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
  align-items: center;
  column-gap: 32px;
  row-gap: 18px;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe::before {
  display: none;
  content: none;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-text {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 1;
  min-width: 0;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-label {
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: 0.14em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  color: var(--turquoise);
  margin: 0 0 6px;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-desc {
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 400;
  color: rgba(243, 239, 232, 0.82);
  margin: 0;
  line-height: 1.55;
}

/* elegant gold divider */
.aj-blog__subscribe-btn {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 1;
  justify-self: end;
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 9px;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, var(--gold) 0%, var(--gold-dark) 100%);
  color: var(--blue);
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.07em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  text-decoration: none;
  padding: 15px 32px;
  border-radius: 40px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 18px rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.22);
  transition: transform 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s;
  white-space: nowrap;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-btn::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  left: -18px;
  top: 50%;
  transform: translateY(-50%);
  width: 1px;
  height: 54px;
  background: linear-gradient(
    180deg,
    rgba(238, 187, 56, 0) 0%,
    rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.9) 20%,
    rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.9) 80%,
    rgba(238, 187, 56, 0) 100%
  );
  pointer-events: none;
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-btn:hover {
  transform: translateY(-2px);
  box-shadow: 0 8px 26px rgba(238, 187, 56, 0.38);
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--blue);
}

.aj-blog__subscribe-btn svg {
  width: 18px;
  height: 18px;
  fill: var(--blue);
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

/* Responsive */
@media (max-width: 900px) {
  .aj-blog__featured-inner {
    padding: 44px 28px 40px;
  }
}

@media (max-width: 620px) {
  .aj-blog__header {
    flex-direction: column;
    align-items: flex-start;
  }

  .aj-blog__substack-link {
    font-size: 17px;
  }

  .aj-blog__featured-inner {
    padding: 34px 24px 30px;
  }

  .aj-blog__featured-post-title {
    font-size: 28px;
  }

  .aj-blog__featured-excerpt {
    font-size: 17px;
  }

  .aj-blog__grid {
    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  }

  .aj-blog__card {
    padding: 22px 22px 20px;
  }

  .aj-blog__card-title {
    font-size: 18px;
  }

  .aj-blog__subscribe {
    padding: 28px 24px;
    flex-direction: column;
    align-items: flex-start;
  }

  .aj-blog__rule {
    width: 200px;
  }
}

.aj-blog {
  --cream: #b4d1d1;
}

.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__title {
  color: var(--cream) !important;
}

.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link,
.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link:link,
.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link:visited {
  color: var(--cream) !important;
}

.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link svg {
  fill: var(--cream) !important;
}

.aj-blog .aj-blog__cards-heading {
  color: var(--cream) !important;
  opacity: 1 !important;
}

.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link:hover,
.aj-blog .aj-blog__header .aj-blog__substack-link:hover svg {
  color: var(--gold) !important;
  fill: var(--gold) !important;
}

.aj-blog hr.aj-blog__rule {
  display: block !important;
  width: 250px !important;
  max-width: 250px !important;
  height: 2px !important;
  margin: 0 auto 32px !important;
  border: 0 !important;
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, var(--turquoise), var(--gold)) !important;
}

/* =========================================
   MOBILE / TABLET EDGE SPACING FIX
   ========================================= */
/* =========================================
   MOBILE / TABLET OUTER GUTTERS
   ========================================= */

@media (max-width: 1024px) {
  .aj-blog {
    padding-left: 20px !important;
    padding-right: 20px !important;
    box-sizing: border-box !important;
  }

  .aj-blog .aj-blog__header,
  .aj-blog .aj-blog__grid,
  .aj-blog .aj-blog__cards-heading,
  .aj-blog hr.aj-blog__rule
  {
    width: 100%;
    box-sizing: border-box;
  }
}

@media (max-width: 767px) {
  .aj-blog {
    padding-left: 10px !important;
    padding-right: 10px !important;
  }

  .aj-blog .aj-blog__card {
    padding: 20px 18px 18px;
  }
}

@media (max-width: 1023px) {
  .aj-blog__subscribe {
    padding: 28px 24px;
    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
    justify-items: center;
    text-align: center;
  }

  .aj-blog__subscribe-text {
    text-align: center;
  }

  .aj-blog__subscribe-btn {
    justify-self: center;
  }

  .aj-blog__subscribe-btn::before {
    display: none;
  }
}