how to configure search field and button

The best way would probably be via CSS – this is a good walkthrough on styling buttons with CSS – you just need to add the right stuff to your CSS.

If you’re using the default theme, you’d specify something like the following:

#searchsubmit {
color:#050;
font-weight:bold;
border:1px solid #000;
background: #fff;
}

great, this looks like it’ll help me out a ton. Thanks!