Vertically centering menu items between menu separator images - css

Question

This is what I'm trying to achieve, and have come pretty close:
This is my CSS:
li {
float: left;
position: relative;
padding-left: 55px;
background: url(../../images/separator.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
height: 87px;
}
a {
font-size: 15px;
line-height: 67px;
}
I'm almost there, but there are a few problems. The only way I came up with to have the menu items vertically in the middle of the separators was to use line-height. But now of course when hovering over the links the hover is the height of the line-height, and I don't want that.
Also: is there a way to have the menu items go "inside" the separator images, like in the picture? The separator image is a transparent png. If not I'll just decrease the padding on the menu items to try and get them closer.

Answer 1

First method:
Give the link a height, position it 50% from the top, half the height back to top:
a {
font-size: 15px;
height:30px;
display:block;
position:relative;
top:50%;
margin-top:-15px;
}
Demo
http://jsbin.com/ovaqix/1/edit
Second Solution
Make the a element display:table-cell and same height as li, then use vertical-align:
a {
display:table-cell;
height:87px;
vertical-align:middle;
}
Demo
http://jsbin.com/ovaqix/2/edit
Table-cell doesnt work in IE7

Answer 2

Have you tried changing stating a height in a:hover ?
To have the menu items go inside the separators, I think that you need to create after and before pseudo elements, with the border hack to generate triangular shapes. Something in he line of:
a:before {
border-top: 38px solid transparent;
border-bottom: 60px solid transparent;
border-right: 60px solid black;
}
If you provide more details, I can be more specific.