Hi Colin,
I tried to log-in with the details, but I’m getting an invalid username error.
I think the solution in this case will be simply switching the search position from the default static to absolute on the compact search box layout panel. An absolute positioned element is removed from the document flow, and does not take up ‘space’, so it will hover over the existing elements.
Also, a fixed width is also very highly recommended with that setting, as well as adjusting the position values: https://i.imgur.com/0YgSLKz.png
To make sure the search is relatively positioned to it’s parent (the widget container), make sure to use this custom CSS code as well:
[html].navigation .mini-widgets {
position: relative;
}[/html]
If the search is still pushed a bit to the bottom, you can adjust a negative top value as well, to compensate: https://i.imgur.com/V9DJzMm.png
I hope this helps!