Hilary Duff Gets a New Pal

12/17/2004 at 06:00 AM EST

Joining the ranks of fellow blonde starlets Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff has picked up a trendy new companion – a Chihuahua. The former Lizzie McGuire star plopped down $1,200 for a 1.5-lb. Blue Fawn pup at TeaCups Puppies Boutique in Hollywood, Fla., last weekend. The 9-week-old puppy – who was not immediately named – will grow to between 4 and 5 lbs. And Duff, 17, seems like she'll be a doting owner on her new tiny friend, says TeaCups founder Eleonora Bonfini. "She was very concerned about the puppy. I know that baby won't be left alone, and that it will be warm and safe traveling with her," says Bonfini. Considering the $677 Duff already spent on accessories at the store, including $45.99 for a crocheted sweater and $299.99 for an Italian shearling carrier, it's a pretty good bet the new pooch will be treated like royalty.

Aging Gracefully
In his Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio plays the eccentric movie producer and aviator Howard Hughes at different ages spanning 26 to 47. But the star, who recently hit the milestone of 30, tells PEOPLE getting older doesn't worry him a bit. "It's just another number to me," DiCaprio says. "Certainly experiences make you more mature, but at the end of the day, I'm kind of the same guy." His Aviator costar and longtime pal John C. Reilly says DiCaprio has always been mature: The two became friends while working on 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape when DiCaprio was just a teenager and Reilly was 27. "He was very mature as a young man actually," Reilly says. "That was one of the striking things about him, even at 17 years old."

Suffering for Art
Kevin Spacey couldn't side-step soreness while learning dance numbers for his new musical flick Beyond the Sea, about singing sensation Bobby Darin. "I'm not a professional dancer and I don't pretend to be, but they treated me like I was, and beat the (crap) out of me," says Spacey, 45, who stars opposite Kate Bosworth (as Sandra Dee) in the biopic. "They worked me like a dog," he adds. "They would often say to me, 'You're not really a dancer until you get injured – so they made sure that happened quite often."

Caught in the Act
Spotted Recently:
• Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, smooching and munching at West Hollywood's Il Sole earlier this week. "She seemed very happy and giggly," says an observer. "They were having a great time." The couple chowed on endive salad and fettuccini, and our spy says Diaz even thanked the chef in Italian, shouting "Grazie!"

• Usher, with his little brother and bodyguards, partying at the MGM Grand's Teatro Euro Bar before winning 11 trophies at the Billboard Music Awards that night. The singer was spotted grooving to his own tunes "Yeah" and "Confessions," which were played back-to-back at the club. Also seen with her own entourage at the same club: ubiquitous party-girl Paris Hilton.

• Spanglish star Adam Sandler and four buddies, chowing down on sugar crisps with honey-almond ice cream, caramel panna cotta, chocolate walnut poundcake with ricotta sorbet, and pumpkin-pie-spiced carrot cake with creme fraiche ice cream at the Church Lounge in New York's Tribeca Grand Hotel. The group was seen laughing it up and having a great time. After all that sugar, who could blame them?

• By LINDA TRISCHITTA, NICHOLAS WHITE, MOLLY LOPEZ, KIMBERLY LANSING and BRENDA RODRIGUEZ