diff --git a/beamercolorthemeaptero.sty b/beamercolorthemeaptero.sty
index 0d2ae5f..45e3535 100644
--- a/beamercolorthemeaptero.sty
+++ b/beamercolorthemeaptero.sty
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@
 \setbeamercolor{theorem line middle}{fg=orange}
 \setbeamercolor{theorem line bottom}{fg=orange}
 
+\setbeamercolor{message}{fg=white, bg=red}
+\setbeamercolor{message line top}{fg=black}
+\setbeamercolor{message line bottom}{fg=black}
+
 \setbeamercolor{section in toc}{parent={normal text}}
 \setbeamercolor{subsection in toc}{parent={normal text}}
 
diff --git a/beamercolorthemeut.sty b/beamercolorthemeut.sty
index 63eeca4..62e36e9 100644
--- a/beamercolorthemeut.sty
+++ b/beamercolorthemeut.sty
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@
 \setbeamercolor{theorem line middle}{fg=utorange}
 \setbeamercolor{theorem line bottom}{fg=utorange}
 
+\setbeamercolor{message}{fg=white, bg=utred}
+
 \setbeamercolor{section in toc}{parent={normal text}}
 \setbeamercolor{subsection in toc}{parent={normal text}}
 
diff --git a/beamerthemelines.sty b/beamerthemelines.sty
index 2d6615d..8ae62db 100644
--- a/beamerthemelines.sty
+++ b/beamerthemelines.sty
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
 %%%%% block environments:
 
 \newcommand{\block@lines@begin}[3]{%
- \par\vskip\medskipamount%
+  \par\vskip\medskipamount%
   \usebeamerfont{block title#1}%
   \IfStrEq{\insertblocktitle}{}{}{%    % IfStrEq does not work for theorems!
     \ifbeamercolorempty[fg]{block line#1 top}{}{%
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@
 %%%%% theorem environments (theorem, corollary, fact, lemma, definition, example):
 
 \newcommand{\theorem@lines@begin}[3]{%
- \par\vskip\medskipamount%
+  \par\vskip\medskipamount%
   \usebeamerfont{#1 title}%
   \ifbeamercolorempty[fg]{#1 line top}{}{%
     \nointerlineskip
@@ -456,6 +456,44 @@
 \setbeamertemplate{block theorem end}[lines]{0.5pt}
 
 
+%%%%% new message box command:
+
+\defbeamertemplate{message}{default}{%
+  \par\vskip\medskipamount%
+  \usebeamerfont{message}%
+  \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=\columnwidth,ht=2.4ex,dp=0.9ex,leftskip=2mm,rightskip=2mm]{message}
+    \strut\insertmessage
+  \end{beamercolorbox}}
+}
+
+\defbeamertemplate{message}{lines}[2]{%
+  \par\vskip\medskipamount%
+  \usebeamerfont{message}%
+  \ifbeamercolorempty[fg]{message line top}{}{%
+    \nointerlineskip
+    \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=\columnwidth,hd=#1]{message line top}
+      \rule{\columnwidth}{#1}
+    \end{beamercolorbox}
+    \nointerlineskip}%
+  \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=\columnwidth,ht=2.4ex,dp=0.9ex,leftskip=2mm,rightskip=2mm]{message}
+    \strut\insertmessage
+  \end{beamercolorbox}}
+  \nointerlineskip%
+  \ifbeamercolorempty[fg]{message line bottom}{}{%
+    \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=\columnwidth,hd=#2]{message line bottom}
+      \rule{\columnwidth}{#2}
+    \end{beamercolorbox}
+    \nointerlineskip}%
+}
+
+\setbeamertemplate{message}[lines]{0.5pt}{0.5pt}
+
+\newcommand{\messagebox}[1]{%
+  \def\insertmessage{#1}%
+  \usebeamertemplate*{message}
+}
+
+
 %%%%% title page %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
 %%%%% title page graphic line:
@@ -705,6 +743,8 @@
 
 \renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
 
+\setbeamerfont{normal text}{size=\normalsize}
+
 \setbeamerfont{frametitle}{size=\LARGE}
 \setbeamerfont{framesubtitle}{size=\large}
 
@@ -714,10 +754,16 @@
 \setbeamerfont{institute}{size=\normalsize}
 \setbeamerfont{date}{size=\tiny}
 
-\setbeamerfont{block title}{size=\normalsize}
-\setbeamerfont{block title alerted}{size=\normalsize}
-\setbeamerfont{block title example}{size=\normalsize}
-\setbeamerfont{theorem title}{size=\normalsize}
+\setbeamerfont{block title}{parent={normal text}}
+\setbeamerfont{block body}{parent={normal text}}
+\setbeamerfont{block title alerted}{parent={block title}}
+\setbeamerfont{block body alerted}{parent={block body}}
+\setbeamerfont{block title example}{parent={block title}}
+\setbeamerfont{block body example}{parent={block body}}
+\setbeamerfont{theorem title}{parent={block title}}
+\setbeamerfont{theorem body}{parent={block body}}
+
+\setbeamerfont{message}{parent={normal text}, size=\large}
 
 \setbeamerfont*{section title}{size=\huge}
 \setbeamerfont*{section name}{size=\huge}
diff --git a/lines-example.tex b/lines-example.tex
index 6a0f2c8..decdd00 100644
--- a/lines-example.tex
+++ b/lines-example.tex
@@ -280,6 +280,14 @@
   \end{proof}
 \end{frame}
 
+\begin{frame}{Message box}
+  A new (non-beamer) command for highlighting important messages:
+  \vspace{5ex}
+  \messagebox{Take home message}
+  \vspace{5ex}
+  Use it!
+\end{frame}
+
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 
 \newcommand{\colorpatch}[1]{%
   \parbox{10ex}{\centerline{\strut#1}\textcolor{#1}{\rule{10ex}{10ex}}}
diff --git a/ut-example.tex b/ut-example.tex
index 9dd7876..43b5de3 100644
--- a/ut-example.tex
+++ b/ut-example.tex
@@ -188,12 +188,7 @@
   \end{theorem}
   \begin{definition}
     Definition block with content: \texttt{definition} environment.\\[1ex]
-    All theorem environments get the same color and font:
-    \begin{itemize}
-    \item \texttt{theorem title}
-    \item \texttt{theorem body}
-    \item \texttt{theorem line top/middle/bottom}
-    \end{itemize}
+    All theorem environments get the same color and font.
   \end{definition}
   %\begin{example}
   %  Example block with content: \texttt{example} environment.
@@ -204,6 +199,14 @@
   \end{proof}
 \end{frame}
 
+\begin{frame}{Message box}
+  A new (non-beamer) command for highlighting important messages:
+  \vspace{5ex}
+  \messagebox{Take home message}
+  \vspace{5ex}
+  Use it!
+\end{frame}
+
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 
 \newcommand{\colorpatch}[1]{%
   \parbox{8ex}{\centerline{\strut#1}\textcolor{#1}{\rule{8ex}{8ex}}}