Ain't this the perfect Holiday cards photo...Ron Howard a.k.a. Richie Cunningham posing with Fonzie and the gang from "Happy Days".

For those of us old enough to remember TV shows from the early 1960s, one that will surely conjure images of a Norman Rockwell painting depicting small town USA or a Currier & Ives Christmas cards setting of a snow covered countryside is The Andy Griffith Show. One of the show’s stars was six-year-old Ron Howard.

Ron Howard was born March 1, 1954 to a show business family. His father is actor/director Rance Howard and his mother is actress Jean Speegle Howard. He appeared in his first movie at the age of 18 months and has been in front of or behind a camera ever since.

Ron became well known when he was cast as Opie, Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son on The Andy Griffith Show. Most fans of TV are familiar with the series that is set in the quiet rural town of Mayberry, North Carolina, where Andy and Opie live with the widowed sheriff’s Aunt Bee. Not much crime takes place in town so most of the exploits revolve around Andy handling squabbles between neighbors or calming down his overly reactive deputy, Barney Fife.

I remember The Andy Griffith Show’s first holiday program. It aired on Monday, December 19th in 1960 and was simply titled “Christmas Story”. I was ten-years-old at the time. My younger brother and I were helping our mother prepare holiday cards and address the envelopes as we watched the story of Mayberry’s scrooge, store owner Ben Weaver, insist that Andy arrest local bootlegger Sam Muggins on Christmas Day. Ben, who sells liquor in his store, doesn’t want Sam’s moonshine to outsell his legal booze. Andy reluctantly throws Sam in jail and then proceeds to arrest his entire family so they can all be together for Christmas. With help from Aunt Bee, Opie, and Barney, Andy puts together a holiday party at the courthouse. When Ben sees the festivities he wants to join in, so he begins to commit various petty crimes to get arrested. Andy refuses until he realizes that Ben just wants to share in the holiday spirit.

In 1974 Ron began to play the role of Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. That same year, “Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas” episode aired on Tuesday, December 17th. The story involved Richie, who discovered that Fonzie will be spending Christmas alone, contriving a plan that would get the whole gang to celebrate Christmas together. I can’t remember where I watched the show that year but it wasn’t with mom and my brother stuffing Christmas cards into envelopes.

Ron directed the feature film The Grinch, which was released on November 17, 2000, based on the Dr. Seuss story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Starring Jim Carrey in the title role of the green, scrooge-like character that would never send holiday cards or celebrate the holidays, it went on to earn $260 million at the U.S. box office.

On her E! evening show, Chelsea Lately, Chelsea Handler featured a Christmas card to Santa written by one of her friend's sons.

For those of us that celebrate Christmas we often send Christmas cards featuring the jolly iconic images of Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus, the gift giver idolized by children around the world, sets up his sleigh and reindeer every Christmas Eve to bring gifts to all the good girls and boys. The children leave out cookies and milk for their gift toting hero and carrots for the reindeer are placed by the decorated Christmas tree in hopes that Santa will arrive with that one (or many gifts) their heart desires.

Santa Claus has a power over the children of the world that matches no other. This power is harnessed by the parents of the world to ensure good behavior from their children for at least six months out of the year. Parents constantly warn their kids that Santa Claus and his elves are watching them and everything they do. After making his list and checking it twice he would know if they had been naughty or nice. Not wanting a stocking full of coal to arrive Christmas morning, the children will usually gradually modify their behavior towards the nicer side as the season of sending Christmas cards and gift giving is set to begin.

Chelsea Handler, the popular host of the E! evening talk show Chelsea Lately featured a Christmas card to Santa written by an acquaintance’s child on an episode airing just prior to the Christmas season. The letter read:

“Dear Santa,
I am totally frecked out by you watching me Santa. Stop watching me Santa. please.
Love, Ryan.
PS I want Speed Racer. Thank You”

Chelsea spoke of what the parents’ warnings about Santa Claus can do to a child. As an adult, most people would be filing a restraining order if we knew someone and their gang of helpers was watching our every move to see if we were naughty or nice. We certainly wouldn’t be leaving out treats in anticipation of their arrival. Not wanting to completely alienate Santa and his elves, Ryan politely asks Santa Claus to stop stalking him while still including his gift of choice in the letter. Chelsea Handler has truly provided a public service to the parents of the world. Buying a Speed Racer at the local toy store and signing the Christmas card “Mom and Dad” will certainly save monumental therapy costs for these parents and their children later in life.

In addition to hosting a late night talk show, Chelsea Handler has performed nationwide as a stand-up comedian and appeared as a regular on the Oxygen Network series, Girls Behaving Badly. On April 15, 2009, Handler won the 2009 Bravo A-List Award for “A-List Funny.” Chelsea Handler has also written two books that both appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List. The first, a memoir, is titled My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands, and the second a collection of humorous essays entitled Are Your There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea.

Isn't that cute? Heidi Montag (sans new nose) and hubby Spencer Pratt volunteered at the Los Angeles Mission last holiday season. This photo would make for the perfect Christmas cards from this skin-deep couple.

So what is this obsession the attention-loving “actress” Heidi Montag has with her face? Supposedly, she has gone under the knife twice – the second time having had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day!! Is she trying to look as good as possible for her and husband Spencer Pratt’s photo Christmas cards next year? What’s going on here? No male whose eyes can still focus would honestly think that her face needed any tampering – especially at the age of 23. It is pretty obvious that she is very insecure, reportedly having had rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and collagen lip injections three years ago.

So why the lack of confidence? Is it because deep down she feels she’s talentless? Is the only way she can become a success in life to flaunt her physical attributes? Perhaps. Her foray into the music business several years ago was certainly not a success. Although she worked with successful producer David Foster, his magic did not work in her case, as her debut album, Superficial – which cost upwards over two million dollars to produce – sold a measly 1,000 copies its first week of release and has sold maybe 7,000 units in total. Not an auspicious debut by any means!

So what does this young woman look forward to? More plastic surgery? “Possibly,” she says. A well-known plastic surgeon basically feels women who say they absolutely must have more and more of these types of procedures often need counseling. Getting a stormy relationship back on track or securing a part in a TV show or movie is not a good reason for having plastic surgery.

Whether her priorities are a bit mixed up or not, this doesn’t necessarily mean she is not a good person. A few years ago, she and Spencer’s Christmas cards may have included a photo from their Christmas Eve visit to the Los Angeles Mission, where they helped serve food to the needy and handed out Christmas presents to children. Now that is what is important – not nose jobs and fake breasts!

This past holiday season, Johnny Depp was spotted buying Christmas gifts with director pal Tim Burton in London.

Johnny Depp, the quirky actor and star of many offbeat character movies, spent this past holiday season in a rather mundane way. He was spotted Christmas shopping with his friend and director, Tim Burton, at London’s Forbidden Planet, a store that specializes in movie memorabilia and toys. He had in hand several items for purchase: a Betty Boop doll, Simpson figures, and what appears to be a wooden marionette – but not a single box of Christmas cards (perhaps that is his girlfriend’s job)! Tim Burton has been the director of many Johnny Depp movies over the years. Each man is a father of young children; therefore Christmas shopping is probably expected of them both.

Johnny Depp is dressed in rather drab attire for the season, apparently trying to appear incognito to avoid the usual paparazzi and fans. Dressed in jeans, denim jacket, tweed overcoat, sunglasses, and a hat, Johnny appears rather nondescript and unenthusiastic as he goes about his holiday shopping task. He was interviewed about his Christmas plans which were equally ordinary, spending time with his two children and longtime girlfriend while waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. One can only speculate that like every other family at this time of year, the Depps spend time decorating a tree, wrapping Christmas presents, writing out Christmas cards and perhaps even baking Christmas cookies!

Compare this holiday scene to the Christmas happenings of Johnny Depp’s character, Edward Scissorhands. Edward is the invention of an eccentric elderly inventor played by Vincent Price. Edward is a young man with a very odd appearance, most notably his hands which consist of many sharp blades resembling scissors. His dark leather attire, wildly askew hairdo, and scarred face conceal a very naïve and sensitive being. To further condense the story line, he is befriended by a wacky Avon lady whose daughter falls in love with him (who wouldn’t?). After some problems with the police and other individuals in town, his newfound family decides to have a Christmas party to smooth things over in the neighborhood.

The family house is decorated with colored lights, and a neon display reads “Happy Holidays” upon the roof. As mother and daughter decorate an artificial white tree, circa 1960s, with ornaments and bells, Edward Scissorhands is on the front lawn doing what he does best – carving topiaries. He is making an impressive angel ice sculpture and the ice shavings are floating and swirling throughout the night air. In a region that never gets snow, it is a magnificent sight to behold when the daughter comes outside and dances amongst the ice crystals in a scene that warms the holiday heart. It is here that the viewer gets a glimpse of why Edward has such horrific, inhuman hands. In a flashback, Edward is seen receiving a red wrapped Christmas present from his creator. The box contains two human-like hands that will never be a part of Edward; his creator falls to the floor, a victim of an apparent heart attack. The perfect Christmas gift of having life-like hands is lost forever.

The reality of Johnny Depp’s everyday life during the Christmas season is probably much more exciting than it appears. But the magical life and unfortunately, ruined Christmas of Edward Scissorhands, is far more enchanting than anything a human being could possibly hope for. Merry Christmas, Johnny and Edward! You are still loved by all!

The perfect Christmas cards...Marcia Cross posing with hubby Tom, twin daughters Eden and Savannah, and of course, Santa.

Of course being a true Melrose Place fan, whenever I see Marcia Cross I think of her character as the evil Dr. Kimberly Shaw, someone who I cannot see sending out cute Christmas cards with a photo of her beautiful daughters on the cover! So when I was looking through a magazine and came across a photo featuring Marcia, her husband, and her daughters Eden and Savannah taking pictures with Santa, it was quite impressive.

I love the fact that she isn’t like most other celebrities that dress the kids all in red with an equally red-dressed mommy and daddy. I love that she kept it simple…some pictures with Santa with the girls in cute little dresses, and she is dressed very casual. When I receive Christmas cards, I don’t want to see a picture that looks like it has a big blob of red in the middle! So good for her for keeping it simple and not going over the top!

Marcia is currently starring as Bree Hodge on Desperate Housewives and is also the new face of Mott’s Applesauce. She is also an Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress. As for her home life, she had only been dating stock broker, Tom Mahoney, for six months when she accepted his marriage proposal. Their wedding was in June 2006 and later that year in September, they announced that they were expecting twins due to arrive in April. In January she was placed on precautionary bed rest until the birth of her twins, therefore suspending her acting duties on Desperate Housewives. But with great determination, Marcia asked for the entire cast and crew to shoot at her house – some scenes were shot right in her very own bedroom! If Marcia puts the same amount of dedication into her Christmas cards for next year, I’m sure they will be spectacular!