WordPress dashboard widget with options panel for quick access to theme options and only viewable by admins.

wp-dashboard-options.php

<?php

/* ----------------------------------------------------------
 * ----------------------------------------------------------
Featured Grid Dashboard Widget
------------------------------------------------------------- *
------------------------------------------------------------- */
/**
 * Add a widget to the dashboard.
 */
function featured_grid_dashboard_widget() {
  wp_add_dashboard_widget(
    'featured_grid_dashboard_widget',         // Widget slug.
    'Featured Grid Dashboard Widget',         // Title.
    'featured_grid_dashboard_widget_function' // Display function.
  );	
}
add_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup', 'featured_grid_dashboard_widget' );

/**
 * Create the function to output the contents of our Dashboard Widget.
 */
/* ----------------------------------------------------------
Declare vars
------------------------------------------------------------- */
$dwName = "Dashboard Widget Name";
$dwShort = "shortname";

/* ---------------------------------------------------------
Declare Dashboard Widget options
----------------------------------------------------------- */
$dw_options = array (

  array(
    "name" => $dwName." Options",
    "type" => "title"
  ),

  /* ---------------------------------------------------------
  General section
  ----------------------------------------------------------- */
  array(
    "name" => "Featured Posts",
    "type" => "section"
  ),
  array( "type" => "open"),

  array(
    "name" => "Post #1",
    "desc" => "Enter the post ID",
    "id" => $dwShort."_post1",
    "type" => "number",
    "std" => ""
  ),
  array(
    "name" => "Post #2",
    "desc" => "Enter the post ID",
    "id" => $dwShort."_post2",
    "type" => "number",
    "std" => ""
  ),
  array(
    "name" => "Post #3",
    "desc" => "Enter the post ID",
    "id" => $dwShort."_post3",
    "type" => "number",
    "std" => ""
  ),
  array(
    "name" => "Post #4",
    "desc" => "Enter the post ID",
    "id" => $dwShort."_post4",
    "type" => "number",
    "std" => ""
  ),
  array(
    "name" => "Post #5",
    "desc" => "Enter the post ID",
    "id" => $dwShort."_post5",
    "type" => "number",
    "std" => ""
  ),

  array( "type" => "close")

);
/*---------------------------------------------------
Dashboard Widget Panel Output
----------------------------------------------------*/
function featured_grid_dashboard_widget_function() {
  global $dwName,$dw_options;
  $i=0;
  $message=''; 
  if ( 'save' == $_REQUEST['action'] ) {

    foreach ($dw_options as $value) {
      update_option( $value['id'], $_REQUEST[ $value['id'] ] ); 
    }

    foreach ($dw_options as $value) {
      if( isset( $_REQUEST[ $value['id'] ] ) ) {
        update_option( $value['id'], $_REQUEST[ $value['id'] ]  );
      } else {
        delete_option( $value['id'] );
      }
    }
    $message='saved';
  }
  else if( 'reset' == $_REQUEST['action'] ) {

    foreach ($dw_options as $value) {
      delete_option( $value['id'] );
    }
    $message='reset';
  }

  ?>
  <div class="featured_grid_options options_wrap">
    <?php
    if ( $message=='saved' ) echo '<div class="updated settings-error" id="setting-error-settings_updated"> 
    <p>'.$dwName.' settings saved.</strong></p></div>';
    if ( $message=='reset' ) echo '<div class="updated settings-error" id="setting-error-settings_updated"> 
    <p>'.$dwName.' settings reset.</strong></p></div>';
    ?>

    <div class="content_options">
      <form method="post">

      <?php foreach ($dw_options as $value) {

        switch ( $value['type'] ) {

          case "open": ?>
          <?php break;

          case "close": ?>
          </div>
          </div><br />
          <?php break;

          case "title": ?>
          <div class="message">
            <p>To update the <?php echo $dwName;?> simply type in the post ID number into each field.</p>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case 'text': ?>
          <div class="option_input option_text">
          <label for="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>">
          <?php echo $value['name']; ?></label>
          <input id="" type="<?php echo $value['type']; ?>" name="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" value="<?php if ( get_settings( $value['id'] ) != "") { echo stripslashes(get_settings( $value['id'])  ); } else { echo $value['std']; } ?>" />
          <small><?php echo $value['desc']; ?></small>
          <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case 'number': ?>
          <div class="option_input option_number">
          <label for="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>">
          <?php echo $value['name']; ?></label>
          <input id="" type="<?php echo $value['type']; ?>" name="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" value="<?php if ( get_settings( $value['id'] ) != "") { echo stripslashes(get_settings( $value['id'])  ); } else { echo $value['std']; } ?>" />
          <small><?php echo $value['desc']; ?></small>
          <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case 'textarea': ?>
          <div class="option_input option_textarea">
          <label for="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></label>
          <textarea name="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" rows="" cols=""><?php if ( get_settings( $value['id'] ) != "") { echo stripslashes(get_settings( $value['id']) ); } else { echo $value['std']; } ?></textarea>
          <small><?php echo $value['desc']; ?></small>
          <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case 'select': ?>
          <div class="option_input option_select">
          <label for="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></label>
          <select name="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" id="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>">
          <?php foreach ($value['options'] as $option) { ?>
              <option <?php if (get_settings( $value['id'] ) == $option) { echo 'selected="selected"'; } ?>><?php echo $option; ?></option>
          <?php } ?>
          </select>
          <small><?php echo $value['desc']; ?></small>
          <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case "checkbox": ?>
          <div class="option_input option_checkbox">
          <label for="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></label>
          <?php if(get_option($value['id'])){ $checked = "checked=\"checked\""; }else{ $checked = "";} ?>
          <input id="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" type="checkbox" name="<?php echo $value['id']; ?>" value="true" <?php echo $checked; ?> /> 
          <small><?php echo $value['desc']; ?></small>
          <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <?php break;

          case "section": 
          $i++; ?>
          <div class="input_section">
          <div class="input_title">

            <h3><?php echo $value['name']; ?></h3>
            <div class="clearfix"></div>
          </div>
          <div class="all_options">
          <?php break;

        }
      }?>
      <span class="submit"><input name="save<?php echo $i; ?>" type="submit" class="button-primary" value="Save changes" /></span>
      <input type="hidden" name="action" value="save" />
      </form>
      <form method="post">
        <p class="submit">
        <input name="reset" type="submit" value="Reset" />
        <input type="hidden" name="action" value="reset" />
        </p>
      </form>
    </div>
    <div class="footer-credit">
      <p>Author <a href="http://kaelsteinert.com/" target="_blank">Kael Steinert</a></p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <?php
}
// Hide Dashboard Widget for everyone except Admins
function remove_dashboard_widgets() {
  global $wp_meta_boxes;
  unset($wp_meta_boxes['dashboard']['normal']['core']['featured_grid_dashboard_widget']);
}
if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
  add_action('wp_dashboard_setup', 'remove_dashboard_widgets' );
}