Anybody in the mood for a little good gossip? Yep, we are, too. As always, we serve it up nice and clean here on nwaMotherlode.com so there’s no need to feel guilty for indulging in a little gossip. No nasty half-truths… nothing intended to humiliate or tear someone down… our gossip is “all good.” Enjoy.

Jesse James, former host of the show Monster Garage who is also married to actress Sandra Bullock, hired a pet detective and offered a $5,000 reward for his missing dog — a brown pit bull named “CinnaBun.” (Cute name!) The dog was missing for three weeks, but the story ended happily. A woman saw CinnaBun’s photo on a flier and brought the dog to Jesse’s bike shop. We love a good reunion story! (Source: People magazine, March 8, 2010 edition)

Dave Annable, who plays Justin on the show Brothers & Sisters, just got engaged to his girlfriend of 18 months, actress Odette Yustman. (You may have seen her in the show October Road a while back.) Dave said he “was terrified” when he asked her but he managed to pull off the surprise during a trip to Santa Barbara. She said the ring “was more beautiful and perfect than I could’ve ever imagined.” Awwww…. (Source: People magazine, March 8, 2010 edition)

There seems to be a race for who will get the co-hosting job on Dancing with the Stars. (Samantha Harris left the position in January.) They say the following ladies may be in the running for the job: Melissa Rycroft, Vanessa Minnillo, Brooke Burke, Lauren Sanchez and possibly Kelly Osbourne. (Source: US Weekly, March 8, 2010 edition)

Wedding bells for Simon Cowell? Well, he hasn’t said it’s true but he’s not flat-out denying it either. There were rumors of an engagement between Simon and his girlfriend Mezhgan Hussainy. (They’ve been dating for a year and she is a makeup artist. She is 36. He’s 50.) When asked if wedding bells might ring later this year, Simon said “Who knows?” Hmmm… wonder what that means. (Source: People magazine, March 8, 2010 edition.)

Speaking of engagements, Justin Timberlake’s mom is like “C’mon, already!” Justin Timberlake has been dating actress Jessica Biel for three years now. His mom, Lynn Harless, joked that she doesn’t care where they get married as long as “we just get on with it.” (Still no word on whether or not an engagement will happen anytime soon.) Justin’s mom said “My friends all have grandchildren. I’ve tried to express to Justin that we are losing the race. Apparently, I’m the only one in the race!” Hang in there, mama. Surely your turn as Grandma will come along one of these days. (Source: US Weekly, March 8, 2010)

We love it when a mega-star seems to have her head on straight. In a recent People magazine cover story, Carrie Underwood said that her relationship with fiance Mike Fisher (an NHL hockey player) is strengthened by their faith. “Our spiritual bond is something we try to put first in our lives,” Carrie said. “Mike has improved my walk with God. It’s important to me, because down the road, I want someone who will help shape our kids into people who make the world a better place.” (Source: People magazine, March 8, 2010 edition)

As you know, we publish Good Gossip every other Tuesday and fill it with a few interesting celebrity tidbits we find in magazines. But we don’t indulge in the nasty rumors meant to humiliate or tear somebody down. (Our mamas taught us better than that.) So we hope you enjoy this compilation of gossip that’s all “good” and guilt-free.

It’s not often that we pick up a copy of People magazine and find a couple from Northwest Arkansas on the cover! But that’s what happened last week when we spotted Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar on the cover of People. Inside, there’s an in-depth article about the birth of their 19th child, Josie Brooklyn. As you may have heard, Josie was born premature and is in Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. The good news is that Michelle says “She’s doing exceptionally well.” She may even be released next month. Best wishes to the family for Josie’s continued good progress. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 15, 2010 edition)

Did you know that George Stephanopoulos, the anchor of Good Morning America, was once addicted to donuts? He says it began one weekend when he ate two donuts before his old show, This Week with George Stephanopoulos. That’s the week the show started to do well. “For months I continued to have two donuts before every show, and I just had to stop,” he said. “Thankfully I gave it up, or I wouldn’t be able to fit behind the desk.” (Source: People magazine, February 15, 2010 edition)

Kristen Bell, 29, who starred in the movie When in Rome, is engaged to actor Dax Shepard, 35, who was also in the film. The couple have been dating since 2007. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 15, 2010 edition)

Will Ferrell, 42, and his wife Viveca, 40, just welcomed their third boy on January 23rd. His name is Axel, and he joins big brothers Magnus and Mattias. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 15, 2010 edition)

If you plan to watch the Olympics, here’s an interesting fact: Famous snowboarder Shaun White is known for doing a “frontside double cork 1080″ which means that he is airborne long enough to do two backflips and spin like a top for three 360-degree revolutions. (Tell your kids, and you’ll get “cool mom” points for knowing this.) Also, a commentator once nicknamed him the “Flying Tomato” (because of his red hair), but the athlete prefers the name “Animal,” after the red-haired muppet. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 15, 2010 edition)

If you’re a fan of How I Met Your Mother (which airs on CBS on Mondays), watch for the March 1st episode with guest star Carrie Underwood. She will play a love interest for the main character, Ted. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 15, 2010 edition)

You picked a great day to cruise by the site because we’ve got gossip AND beauty tips. (See Andi’s post below.) But first, let’s see what some celebrities have been up to lately.

Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban belted out a duet at an event called “Austrailia’s G’Day USA 2010 Gala”. They sang a spoof of the 1981 song “Down Under” for gala honoree Simon Baker, who stars in The Mentalist. (Source: People magazine, February 1, 2010 edition)

If you’re a fan of Beyonce, be sure to check out the February issue of Allure magazine. The in-depth profile of Beyonce is really interesting and includes a few quotes from her talking about her famous curves: “I always say ‘I don’t want to lose my curves.’ I like firm curves. You can never do enough squats, you can never do enough sit-ups. But as far as losing too much weight or building too much muscle… I like for women to look feminine.” On the road, the singer/actress sticks to grilled fish, vegetables and salad. But she does allow herself one “cheat day” every week, when she can eat whatever she wants. (Source: Allure magazine, February 2010)

Carrie Underwood was in Memphis recently visiting children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She and fellow country stars Jewel and Danny Gokey (of last year’s American Idol) performed for the fundraiser “Country Cares for St. Jude Kids.” (Source: People magazine, Feb. 1, 2010 edition)

Jessica Simpson spent three months traveling the world to explore different primping rituals for a new VH1 reality show called The Price of Beauty. (It premieres in March.) She said that some men in a Ugandan village told her she’d need to spend three months in a fattening hut for them to even consider marrying her. Simpson said the travel experience “changed me completely.” (Source: People magazine, Feb. 1, 2010 edition)

Actor Mark Wahlberg (who just starred in the movie  Lovely Bones) and his wife Rhea Durham welcomed their fourth child, a girl named Margaret Grace, on January 11th. Wahlberg is the youngest of nine kids, so he said “the more the merrier” recently on The Ellen Degeneres Show. (Source: People magazine, Feb. 1, 2010 edition)

 

Time for some gossip! As always, we serve it up guilt-free here on nwaMotherlode.com. That means no nasty stuff or half-truths. After all, there’s no reason why gossip can’t be “good.”

Celebrity Dish

Rihanna looked like she was having fun while jet skiing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with a new love interest, L.A. Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

When asked about her wedding plans to hockey player Mike Fisher, singer Carrie Underwood says she wants “good food and an open bar!” (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

Johnny Depp received the “best actor of the decade” award at the People’s Choice Awards show on January 6th. He said he was “deeply humbled” by the title. (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

Brad and Angelina had some kid-free date nights after Christmas. The famous couple was spotted dining at some Manhattan restaurants a few weeks ago. At a restaurant called Alto, they had a six-hour feast and closed the place down when they left at 1:30 a.m.! (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

When asked how it is to be raising girls now, actor Matthew Broderick (who is married to Sarah Jessica Parker) said “With James, I was always getting him something he could hit or stab. I know the twins (Marion and Tabitha, who are 6 months old) are going to like dolls. I’ll have to learn about stuff like shoes. I’ll let their mom do that.” (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

There’s a great interview in the latest edition of People magazine with the President and First Lady, reflecting on their first year in the White House with their daughters. “What’s so good about my life here in the White House is that no matter how tough the day is, at the end of the day these guys are there to greet me,” says the President. Mrs. Obama says the girls drop in on Dad in the Oval Office, too. “My view is: Feel that freedom. This is your Dad. Go say, ‘Hi,’ and see if he wants to come out and play.” The interview covers some political issues as well as personal ones. When asked what, on a personal level, the President wants to be better at this year, he replied “Resisting pie.” (We’re right there with ya, Mr. President.)

Country star John Rich and his wife Joan welcomed their first child, a boy, in Nashville on January 10th. Get this. They named him “Cash.” Yep, that’s right. His full name is “Cash Rich.” (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)

Simon Cowell’s show, The X Factor, will debut in America in the fall of 2010 on Fox. Cowell, who announced he will be leaving American Idol after this season, says he is thrilled to have a date on the launch of the U.S. version of the show he created in England. (Source: People magazine, January 25, 2010 edition)