TEA FOR TWO

Why have just one when two is more fun? After a March 11 coed shower for Brooke Shields and baby No. 2, Shields reveled in a second, girls-only afternoon tea thrown April 8 by nursery-designer pal Wendy Bellissimo with friends such as Denise Richards, Camryn Manheim and Anjelica Huston. Meanwhile Shields's first daughter Rowan, 2 (with husband Chris Henchy), helped Mommy open gifts and cooed that the party was a "gorgeous baby shower." She also received a set of matching flip-flops for her and sister-to-be Grier, who could be born before the month is out. "Brooke was an only child, and her dream [was] to have a sister," says Bellissimo. "She can't wait to see Rowan and the baby together."

PARTY QUEEN
She's on her way to 40, but Queen Latifah can out-party people half her age. On March 30 at N.Y.C.'s Boudoir, Mischa Barton and Mary-Kate Olsen both split by 2 a.m. But Latifah had the club kept open so she and 20 pals could dance till 5:30. A week later Latifah popped up at Snatch in South Beach to ring in her 36th birthday with pal Tyson Beckford. When her four-tier cake rolled out, the Queen plucked off the edible crown, put it on her head and partied into the wee hours again.

STREEP SMARTS
Kevin Kline, Chris Cooper and director Robert Altman turned out in Brookline, Mass., April 5 to honor Meryl Streep, who received a Coolidge Award for "expanding the boundaries of cinema." After a preview of Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, costarring Lindsay Lohan, Streep told Insider, "She's a great actress—a game and spirited girl." Asked if she could have endured Lohanesque scrutiny in her own youth, Streep rolled her eyes and said, "Noooo."

ANGEL BABY
Brooke Shields wasn't the only one whose party was baby-bumpin' last weekend. On April 9, an 8-months-pregnant Gwen Stefani, with husband Gavin Rossdale in tow, was showered by pals including David Arquette, Christina Applegate, former Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson and Gwen's ex-boyfriend, No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal (with his longtime girlfriend, who starred in Stefani's video for "Cool"). Guests got flowers and truffles as parting gifts.