$.Shout - Simple jQuery notifications

I am in the process of building a web app for managing browser bookmarks and I would like to share some of the code.

Every web app needs some kind of way to give users feedback on performed tasks and actions, so I wrote this little jQuery function(and a few lines of css for formatting).

The reason why I wrote this as a jQuery function is because I needed it to be available from anywhere within the app and not mess with my MVC-like app architecture.

CSS

#appMessage {
  width: 100%;
  position: fixed;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  z-index: 1000;
  height: 25px;
  text-align: center;
  padding: 20px 0px 20px 0px;
  color: #fff;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-position: 10px center;
  border-bottom: 1px solid;
}

#appMessage.success {
  color: #4F8A10;
  background-color: #DFF2BF;
}

#appMessage.error {
  color: #D8000C;
  background-color: #FFBABA;
}

#appMessage.info {
  color: #00529B;
  background-color: #BDE5F8;
}

#appMessage.warning {
  color: #9F6000;
  background-color: #FEEFB3;
}

JavaScript

/*
************************************
Author: Qawelesizwe Mlilo
************************************
*/

(function ($) {
    $.shout = function (message, seconds, msgType) {

      /*
       Check if there is a notice currently displayed
       and remove it
      */

      if ($("#appMessage").length) {
        $("#appMessage").remove();
      }

      /*
         Create a div element
         and default it as an info notice
      */

      var elem = $('<div>', {
        'id': 'appMessage',
        'class': msgType || 'info',
        'html': message
      });

      /*
         Attach a click event to remove notice
      */

      elem.click(function () {
        $(this).fadeOut(function () {
            $(this).remove();
        }.bind(this));
      });

      /*
         Close the notice after
         a specified number of seconds
      */

      if (seconds) {
        setTimeout(function () {
            elem.click();
        }, seconds * 1000);
      }

      /*
         Create a slide down effect
      */

      elem.hide().appendTo('body').slideDown();
    };
}(jQuery));

How to use it

Simply call the function with 2 or 3 arguments

/*
  Calling it with 2 arguments will default
  to a simple info notice
*/

$.shout('Hello there, this is just a notice', 10);

/*
  Or give an error notice
*/

$.shout('Action failed', 10, 'error');

/*
  Or a success notice
*/

$.shout('Action successfully executed!', 10, 'success');

/*
  A warning notice
*/

$.shout('Are you sure you want to do that?', 10, 'warning');