var $cat = $('<div id=catTitle >' + tmpCategory + '</div>')
                .fadeIn('slow').appendTo('#catPile').attr('categoryName', tmpCategory).attr('categoryNum', idx).droppable({
            containment: '#content',
            stack: '#catPile div',
            cursor: 'move',
            drop: handleDropEvent
        });

<div class="typeface-js" style="font-family: optimer">
Text here in Helvetiker font...</div>

var $item = $('<div id=itemUI class="typeface-js" style="font-family: optimer">' + tmpItem + '</div>').fadeIn('slow').appendTo('#itemPile').attr('itemName', tmpItem).attr('categoryNum', categoryArrayNum).draggable({....etc

<div id="itemUI" class="typeface-js ui-draggable" style="font-family: optimer; position: relative;" itemname="Severe-1" categorynum="2">Severe-1</div>