absint( $featured_posts_number ),
'post_type' => 'post',
'post_status' => 'publish',
'paged' => 1,
);
if ( absint( $featured_posts_category ) > 0 ) {
$featured_posts_args['cat'] = absint( $featured_posts_category );
}
$loop = new WP_Query( $featured_posts_args );
if ( $loop->have_posts() ) :
$i=-1; $j=0;
while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); $i++; $j++; ?>