Posted Dec. 8, 2008

"Do whatever you can, on whatever scale you can. It's all about the intention." That's Gwyneth Paltrow, offering holiday gift-giving advice for these depressing economic times in the latest newsletter from her moniker-challenged, widely derided lifestyle initiative, GOOP. Alas, for the globetrotting Oscar winner, the scale is all relative. Some of her suggestions for a thrifty present for that special someone include a $45 pair of cashmere socks from Barneys, a $75 cake knife and a $40 pair of magnetic wooden tongs. Then there are Gwyn's other, less frugal, ideas, such as a $1,850 Hermes watch ("The ultimate anti-credit crunch present," says Paltrow, "but a girl can dream") and $110 box of chocolates ("My absolute favorite chocolate in the entire world," she gushes. "I send these out to special people every year"). Gwyneth, who marked her five-year anniversary with husband Chris Martin on Friday, also recommends an $18 book on etiquette, "because we can all brush up on our manners," which, it just so happens, may be something she needs to do when it comes to giving out her John Hancock. Autograph magazine (via the New York Daily News) has ranked the actress as one of the worst celebrity signers. "She's probably the snootiest of signers on this list," one collector huffs to the mag, which lists Jay Leno, George Clooney and Matt Damon as the best autographers in the biz. "Paltrow will try to ignore everyone as she walks by, or she'll just point-blank tell you in her condescending tone, 'I do not sign autographs.'"

Kate Hudson arrives at the Fontainebleau Hotel grand reopening party in Miami Beach on Nov. 14. (©AP)

Meanwhile, Kate Hudson is taking the opposite tack from Paltrow by revealing that her famous family will be toning things down this year. "I think it's a really weird time and I think that everyone is feeling it," the actress tells People, explaining that the well-heeled Hudson clan will be swapping homemade presents. "We've always been pretty crafty anyway. We all knit. The girls knit. This year I'm doing these great big knit ... well, actually I shouldn't even talk about it because I can't say it!" But, like Paltrow, Hudson's idea of penny-pinching is different from those of us who don't command multimillion paychecks. Kate says she and 4-year-old son Ryder will spend the holidays shushing down the ski slopes in Colorado.

Speaking of skiing (and a desire to shush), attention-starved ersatz newlyweds Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt befouled the pristine snow of Utah's Deer Valley over the weekend with their latest cheesier-than-a-Velveeta-factory photo op. Gulp down some Pepto and check out the overdose of ridiculousness here.

Jen and Owen film "Marley & Me" last May. (©AP)

Jennifer Aniston's four-letter-filled "Marley & Me" press marathon continues. In an interview with USA Today, the John Mayer-dating, Angelina Jolie-is-"uncool"-calling star admits it's not easy publicizing the expected crowd-pleaser of a flick when her tabloid-topping private life is providing so much entertainment. "I think it's ridiculous. There's just this insatiable need," kvetches Jen, who conducted the sit-down alongside co-star Owen Wilson (the actor, who has shied away from the spotlight since his reported suicide attempt last year, briefly walked out of the chat when the interviewer asked if their dogs help them through "difficult times"). "I am honestly getting sick of it, and I feel like telling people, 'You know what? It's none of your [bleeping] business.' Seriously, it's enough. ... And this is at a time when we should be so inspired and excited with what's happening with the president. It's a time to be positive and join together. We're just trying to entertain you, man. Don't shoot the messenger."

Anne attends the London premiere of "Rachel Getting Married" on Oct. 10. (©Retna Ltd.)

Who would have guessed that a night out with Anne Hathaway would be worth considerably less than one with Chevy Chase? People reports the con man-ditching actress got on the auction block Sunday night in Los Angeles to raise money for the Trevor Project, which runs a suicide and crisis prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. "I'm not usually very forward," Hathaway teased, "but I thought if there was ever a crowd for me to do something like this, this is my crowd so I would like to auction myself off for drinks somewhere fabulous and basically get you totally s---faced. Tell me what I'm worth." Three fans in the crowd responded with the impressive sum of $12,000. Bubbled the actress, "Wow, I feel really good right now." But that good feeling might not last when Anne learns what Chevy got at a recent Comedy Cares benefit. The New York Daily News says face-time with the funnyman raised $17,000, which trumped the $14,000 collected by an adorable golden retriever puppy that was also up for bid.

Emma Watson attends the Los Angeles premiere of "The Tale of Despereaux" on Dec. 7. (©Retna Ltd.)

First, there was naked Harry Potter. Now, there's the similarly unwelcome possibility of an unclothed Hermione. Emma Watson says she's not averse to following the duds-doffing lead of her "Potter" co-star Daniel Radcliffe, who sparked many a magic wand joke by baring all in the stage production of "Equus." When asked by the Times of London whether she would consider a nude scene -- for the sake of the story, natch -- she responds in the affirmative. "Yes," says the actress, 18. "For Bernardo Bertolucci. It . . . depends. I'm not getting my kit off any time soon, but it is part of my job." Still, she admits she's at a "strange age" that makes casting decisions difficult. "I'm not a woman yet, but I'm not a girl any more," acknowledges Emma. "[Studios] say, 'Oh, in a couple of years you'll be perfect for this.' I'll be like, yeah, but I want to be studying English then, so it's going to be quite tough to choose between the two."

Did Jessica Alba get an unnecessary Photoshop waistline whittling for her glossy, glam-heavy Campari calendar? Compare the before-and-after pictures and draw your own conclusions.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Janet Jackson, 42, is not pregnant, pooh-poohs would-be knocker-upper Jermaine Dupri to Us.

It's a uniquely named boy for "Ugly Betty" star Eric Mabius. People reports that he and his interior designer-wife Ivy Sherman welcomed Rylan Jaxson Mabius on Sunday, with the tot tipping the scales at -- yeeouch! -- just over 10 lbs. This is the second stork visit for the couple, who are also parents to 2-year-old Max.

Next: Tiff Sift: Lindsay's 'Meltdown,' MK vs. Kirsten, Sienna's Tears?