<div class="in-touch">
    <h2 class="in-touch__title">Get In Touch</h2>
    <div role="form" class="wpcf7">
        <div class="screen-reader-response"></div>
        <form action="" class="wpcf7-form inline-form" id="js-inline-form">
            <p>Hello, <span id="title" class="inline-form__label"> my name is </span> <span class="inline-form__input-wrap">&nbsp;<span aria-labelledby="title" role="textbox" class="inline-form__input" contenteditable=""></span>&nbsp;</span> and you can <span id="email" class="inline-form__label"> email me at </span> <span class="inline-form__input-wrap">&nbsp;<span aria-labelledby="email" role="textbox" class="inline-form__input" contenteditable=""></span>&nbsp;</span>. I am writing you today because <span id="interest" class="inline-form__label"> I'm interested in </span> <span class="inline-form__input-wrap">&nbsp;<span aria-labelledby="interest" role="textbox" class="inline-form__input" contenteditable=""></span>&nbsp;</span>.
                <br>
                <input type="submit" value="Email that!" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit inline-form__submit"><span class="ajax-loader"></span>
                <input type="hidden" name="title" value="" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden">
                <input type="hidden" name="email" value="" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden">
                <input type="hidden" name="interest" value="" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden">
                <br>
            </p>
        </form>
    </div>
</div>
/*------------------------------------*\
    ::Colors
\*------------------------------------*/

// primary colors
$color-1:               #00caa9;
$color-1--light:        #19ffda;
$color-1--dark:         #01987f;
$color-1--darker:       #215d6e;

// drab gray colors
$color-drab:            #515b5c;
$color-drab--light:     #687273;
$color-drab--lighter:   #a0abac;
$color-drab--dark:      #3e4748;
$color-drab--darker:    #262626;

// alert colors
$color--good:           $color-1--light;
$color--bad:            #DE5D5D;
$color--meh:            #EBE857;

/*------------------------------------*\
    ::Fonts
\*------------------------------------*/
// font families
$fam-1: 'Vollkorn', serif;
$fam-2: 'Signika', sans-serif;

/*------------------------------------*\
    ::Layout
\*------------------------------------*/
// gaps and padding
$pad:       0.9375rem;
$gap:       $pad;
$gap--baby: $pad*2.7;
$gap--big:  $pad*3.6;

/*------------------------------------*\
    ::Extends
\*------------------------------------*/
%blockquote {
	position: relative;
	&:before,
	&:after {
		display: inline;
		position: absolute;
		height: .7em;
		color: $color-drab;
	}
	&:before {
		content: "\201C";
		left: -.4em;
		top: -.3em;
		font-size: 5em;
	}
	&:after {
		content: "\201D";
		right: -.4em;
		bottom: -.2em;
		font-size: 5em;
	}
}
%btn {
	position: relative;
    display: inline-block;
    padding: 0.5em 1em;
    margin-bottom: .1em;
    background-color: $color-drab--lighter;
    border: 0;
    text-decoration: none;
    text-align: center;
    font-family: $fam-2;
    color: #fff;
    transition: box-shadow 300ms, opacity 300ms;
    box-shadow: 7px 0 0 0 $color-drab inset;
    // &, /*DEBUG*/
    &:hover,
    &:focus {
        outline: 0;
    	box-shadow: -7px 0 0 0 $color-1 inset;
    }
    &:disabled {
    	opacity: .5;
    	cursor: default;
    }
}
%btn--dark {
	background-color: $color-drab--light;
}
// implementations
.btn { @extend %btn; }
.btn--dark { @extend %btn--dark; }
%all-headings {
    margin-bottom: .4rem;
    font-family: $fam-2;
}
%h2 {
    @extend %all-headings;
    position: relative;
    font-size: 2.25em;
    &:before {
    	content: "";
    	display: block;
    	width: 2rem;
    	height: .4375rem;
    	margin-bottom: .3em;
    	background-color: $color-1;
    }
}
// implementation
h2 { @extend %h2; }

/*------------------------------------*\
    ::Global
\*------------------------------------*/
*, *:before, *:after {
    box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
	font-family: $fam-1;
    background-color: $color-drab--dark;
    color: #fff;
}
button,
html input[type="button"],
input[type="reset"],
input[type="submit"] {
	@extend %btn;
	-webkit-appearance: button;
	cursor: pointer;
}
ul,
ol {
	margin: .2em 0;
	padding-left: 1.2em;
	li {
		padding-left: 0;
		margin: .5em 0;
        list-style-position: outside;
	}
}
ul {
	list-style: circle;
}

/*------------------------------------*\
	::Footer (whole page in codepen's case)
\*------------------------------------*/
.in-touch {
    max-width: 25em;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: $gap;
}

/*------------------------------------*\
	::Inline Form
\*------------------------------------*/
.inline-form {
	@extend %blockquote;
	margin: 0 $gap;
	padding: 0 .2em;
	line-height: 1.4;
	color: $color-drab--lighter;
	border-radius: .2em;
	transition: 300ms;
	&.sent {
		background-color:rgba($color--good,.1);
		box-shadow:0 0 0 1px rgba($color--good,.3) inset;
	}
	&.failed,
	&.invalid {
		background-color:rgba($color--bad,.1);
		box-shadow:0 0 0 1px rgba($color--bad,.3) inset;
	}
	&__label {
		cursor: pointer;
		transition: 300ms;
		&:hover {
			color: rgba(#fff, .8);
		}
		&.active {
			color: #fff;
		}
	}
	&__input-wrap {
		border-bottom: 1px solid $color-drab--light;
		background-color: darken($color-drab, 5%);
		letter-spacing: .8em;
		cursor: pointer;
		color: $color-drab--lighter;
		transition: 300ms;
		.inline-form__label.active + &:not(.error) {
			background-color: transparent;
			border-color: #fff;
			color: #fff;
		}
		&.error {
			background-color:rgba($color--bad,.5);
			box-shadow:0 0 0 1px rgba($color--bad,.5) inset;
		}
	}
	&__input {
		transition: 300ms;
		letter-spacing: 0;
		&:focus {
			color: #fff;
			outline: none; // shown by parent's styling
		}
	}
	&__submit {
		float: right;
		margin-top: 1.5em;
	}
}
// response output (uses wpcf7's screen reader text)
.in-touch {
	.screen-reader-response {
		display: block;
		margin-bottom: 1em;
		li {
			position: relative;
			list-style: none;
			&:before {
				content: "x ";
				font-family: $fam-2;
				color: $color--bad;
			}
		}
	}
}
View Compiled
// keep it fresh
console.clear();

/*------------------------------------*\
	::Inline Form
\*------------------------------------*/
var inlineForm = {

	// orchestrate the form
	init: function(){
		// cache variables
		inlineForm.$form = $('#js-inline-form');
		inlineForm.$wpcf7 = inlineForm.$form.parents('.wpcf7');
		inlineForm.$labels = inlineForm.$form.find('.inline-form__label');
		inlineForm.$inputs = inlineForm.$form.find('.inline-form__input');
		inlineForm.$inputWraps = inlineForm.$form.find('.inline-form__input-wrap');
		inlineForm.$submit = inlineForm.$form.find('.inline-form__submit');

		// start running
		inlineForm.wpcf7FixType();
		inlineForm.createLabels();
		inlineForm.bindAddValue();
		inlineForm.bindFocus();
		inlineForm.handleInvalid();
	},

	// identify selected field by class
	createLabels: function(){
		// on each input
		inlineForm.$inputs.each(function(){
			// get the jQuery and basic node objects
			var $thisInput = $(this);
			var inputNode = $thisInput[0];
			// when focus is added
			inputNode.addEventListener('focus', function(){
				// only add .active to current label
				inlineForm.$labels.removeClass('active');
				$thisInput
					.parent('.inline-form__input-wrap')
					.prev('.inline-form__label')
					.addClass('active');
			});
		});
		// on click of each label
		inlineForm.$labels.on('click', function(){
			// set focus on the next input node
			$(this)
				.next('.inline-form__input-wrap')
				.find('.inline-form__input')[0]
					.focus();
		});
	},

	// add focus on empty contenteditable's
	bindFocus: function(){
		// for each wrapper of the inputs
		inlineForm.$inputWraps.each(function(){
			// cache this and the input node inside
			var $this = $(this);
			var inputNode = $this.find('.inline-form__input')[0];
			// set focus on wrap click to input node inside
			$this.on('click touchstart', function(){
				inputNode.focus();
			});
		});
	},

	// add contenteditable values to inputs
	bindAddValue: function(){
		inlineForm.$inputs.each(function(){
			// cache
			var $this = $(this);
			var $thisWrap = $this.parent();
			var inputNode = $this[0];

			// find the hidden input for this contenteditable
			var $matchingInput = inlineForm
				.$form
				.find('[name="'+$this.attr('aria-labelledby')+'"]');

			// when contenteditable loses focus then add value to hidden input
			inputNode.addEventListener('blur', function(){
				$matchingInput.val($this.html());
			});

			// when contenteditable gains focus
			inputNode.addEventListener('focus', function(){
				// remove any errors
				$thisWrap.removeClass('error');
				// if the form was invalid
				if(inlineForm.$form.hasClass('invalid') || inlineForm.$form.hasClass('failed')){
					// if there are no more errors then identify as such
					if(inlineForm.$form.find('.error').length == 0){
						inlineForm.$form.removeClass('invalid failed');
						inlineForm.$submit.val('Try again!').prop('disabled', false);
					}
				}
			});
		});
	},

	// handle invalid form submissions
	handleInvalid: function(){

		// when wpcf7 reports invalid
		inlineForm.$wpcf7.on('wpcf7:invalid', function(){

			// get ready to store the error block
			var $err = null;

			// show errors
			var showError = function(){
				// look through each error in the list
				$err.each(function(){
					// parse the text to get the offending field's name
					var txt = $(this).text();
					var txtArr = txt.split(':');
					var inputName = txtArr[0].substring(5, txtArr[0].length);
					// add an error class
					$('#'+inputName).next('.inline-form__input-wrap').addClass('error');
					// identify errors on the button
					inlineForm.$submit.val('Can\'t send with errors...').prop('disabled', true);
				});
			}

			// look for the error block
			var checkErr = function(){
				// try to find the block with its li's
				$err = $('.screen-reader-response').find('li');
				// if it's not there yet
				if($err.length == 0 || $err.hasClass('error-msg')){
					// recursively call to look again
					setTimeout(function(){
						checkErr();
					}, 250)
				// if it's there then parse the errors
				} else {
					$err.addClass('error-msg');
					showError();
				}
			}
			checkErr();

		});
	},

	// fix required type of type=email for email field
	wpcf7FixType: function(){
		$('#js-wpcf7-req-email').replaceWith('<input type="hidden" name="email" value="" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-hidden">');
	},
};

jQuery(function($){
	inlineForm.init();
});

// ignore: quick dirty mimic of wpcf7 plugin's php-side functionality
jQuery(function($){
    $('#js-inline-form').on('submit', function(e){
        e.preventDefault;
        
        var $form = $(this);
        var $inputs = $form.find('[type="hidden"]');
        var $wpcf7 = $form.parents('.wpcf7');
        var $resp = $wpcf7.find('.screen-reader-response');
        var err = [];
        
        $inputs.each(function(){
            var val = $(this).val();
            var title = $(this).attr('name');
            if('' == val){
                err.push('Your '+title+': you can\'t leave this blank.');
            } else if ('email' == title && val.indexOf('@') === -1) { // much more in-depth in my php version
                err.push('Your '+title+': this doesn\'t look accurate.');
            }
        });
        
        if(err.length > 0){
            $form.addClass('invalid');
            $wpcf7.trigger('wpcf7:invalid');
            var errHTML = '<ul>';
            for(var i = 0; i < err.length; i++){
                errHTML +=('<li>'+err[i]+'</li>');
            }
            errHTML += '</ul>';
            $resp
                .html('Oops! Looks like we\'ve got errors...'+errHTML);
        } else {
            $form.removeClass('invalid').addClass('sent');
            $resp.html('Sent. Thanks!');
        }

        return false; // don't ever send in this codepen example...
    });
});

External CSS

This Pen doesn't use any external CSS resources.

External JavaScript

  1. https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.1.1/jquery.min.js