jQuery.fn.doFade = function(settings) {  
  
    // if no paramaters supplied...  
   settings = jQuery.extend({  
      fadeColor: "black",  
      duration: 200,  
      fadeOn: 0.95,  
      fadeOff: 0.9
   }, settings);  
  
    var duration = settings.duration;  
    var fadeOff = settings.fadeOff;  
    var fadeOn = settings.fadeOn;  
    var fadeColor = settings.fadeColor;  
  
    $(this).hover(function(){  
     $(this)  
         .stop()  
         .data("origColor", $(this).css("background-color"))  
         .animate({  
             opacity: fadeOn,  
             backgroundColor: fadeColor  
         }, duration)  
   }, function() {  
     $(this)  
         .stop()  
         .animate({  
             opacity: fadeOff,  
             backgroundColor: $(this).data("origColor")  
         }, duration)  
   });  
  
};