Beyonce and Jay

Never ones to hold back when it comes to living the good life, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z decided to ring in the New Year in the relaxing environment of St. Barth.

Spotted side-by-side on Thursday afternoon (December 31), the happy couple held one another as they partook in a leisurely yacht cruise around the Caribbean ahead of the New Year's Eve parties.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z recently finished up his work on a brand new collaboration called "Light Up" with Toronto lyricist, Drake.

"Everybody is looking for this one joint with me and Jay, so that needs to happen," Drake previously told MTV. "My goal at this point is to keep making that organic music. I don't wanna feel pressure now that I have a single and music that's hot."

Now having completed the new track, Drake later told MTV, "When I heard that beat, the drums that they had come up with, it was like, 'Man, this is a moment. This sounds like where I'm at in my life.' So, we took it and 40 did what he does to pieces of music that I see potential in — he took it to the next spot. Jay-Z's on it. The song is phenomenal. It's done now."

Leighton Meester: Poolside Relaxation

Getting some much-needed relaxation after a late night of partying, Leighton Meester was spotted hanging out with friends at The Shore Club in Miami Beach, Florida on Wednesday afternoon (December 30).

The "Gossip Girl" actress sprawled out alongside the hotel pool, enjoying a few laughs with her companions after having performed at the opening of Klutch nightclub the previous evening.

Meanwhile, Miss Meester will be making her way to Atlantic City to ring in 2010, as her band is playing a gig at the Dusk Club.

"I'm performing at 12:01," Leighton told E! News, then telling of her New Year's resolution, "I don't make them, because I don't keep them! Maybe when I was 8, I said I'd make my bed every day."

Salma Hayek and Valentina: Ice Cream Cuties

Making quite the picture perfect pair, Salma Hayek and her precious daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault were spotted out at The Grove in Los Angeles on Tuesday (December 29).

The 43-year-old Mexican actress and her little darling joined Salma's mother, Diana, and stepdaughter, Mathide Pinault, for a bite to eat for lunch before grabbing a delicious (and messy) ice cream treat for dessert.

Aside from doting on her family, Miss Hayek was recently among the celebrities to be mentioned in this year's Celebrity Impact Rankings Top 10 list.

Honoring stars who bring in the most cash for their charitable endeavors, Salma is said to have raised over $1.6 million for UNICEF in 2009.

As for work endeavors, Miss Hayek can next be seen starring alongside Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi and Maria Bello in the comedy "Grown Ups" - which hits theaters on June 25, 2010.

The film is about five good friends who reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of their high school graduation.

Sarah Jessica Parker Steps Out with the Twins

Braving the snowy winter weather, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were spotted out with the twins in New York City on Sunday (December 27).

The “Sex and the City” sweetie and her “Deck the Halls” hubby toted six-month-old Marion and Tabitha around town as paparazzi followed their every move.

Meanwhile, SJP recently chatted about how thrilled she was to star alongside Hugh Grant in her recently released movie, "Did You Hear About the Morgans?".

She tells: “With this movie, I was basically shoved up inside his jacket pocket. I just loved it. I love him. He is very, very good at what he does. I paid to see him in 'Four Weddings And A Funeral' again and again! I wanted to be in a romantic comedy opposite him for years."

Jennifer Garner: Park Playdate with the Girls

Enjoying a little quality time with her darling daughters, Jennifer Garner was spotted out at a park in Brentwood, California on Saturday afternoon (December 26).

Bundled up in a winter jacket, the “Juno” actress was all smiles as she hit up the playground equipment with Violet and Seraphina.

As for family life, Jen recently told that she's learned to deal with being separated from husband Ben Affleck as a result of their busy work schedules - which she can handle with the help of her girlfriends.

"I can live with Ben working crazy hours. But I can't live without girlfriends. It's fine if he's not there; I just need someone to b*tch about it to," Garner said.

Bikini Beach Babes: 2009

Inching closer and closer to the new year lying ahead, 2009 surely wasn't short of its fair share of celebrity bikini bliss.

With a seemingly endless supply of Hollywood hotties decked out in skimpy swimwear, lovely ladies such as Miranda Kerr, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Mariah Carey were among the numerous beach dwellers over the past twelve months.

Joining in on the body-baring fun were the damsels of the reality TV world, as Kristin Cavallari, Stephanie Pratt, Whitney Port, Kim Zolciak and Kelly Bensimon all took their turns modeling bikinis as paparazzi eagerly snapped up shots.

Not to be left out, fellow starlets such as AnnaLynne McCord, Courteney Cox, Sienna Miller, Elisabetta Canalis, Leighton Meester, Sophie Monk and Tori Spelling all showed off their fabulous figures for the whole world to see.

Brittany Murphy Laid to Rest

Just four days after the shocking news of her premature passing, Brittany Murphy was laid to rest during a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve (December 24).

Saying their goodbyes were about two dozen attendees consisting of only the closest family and friends including Brittany’s husband, Simon Monjack, as well as actor Eric Balfour.

Meanwhile, family spokesman Alex Ben Block told press of a future event to be held in Miss Murphy's honor, saying, "There are plans to have a more public memorial sometime in the new year when other people can come remember and share memories of her, but today is just small and very private for those close to her."

As previously reported by Gossip Center, Brittany was only 32-year-old at the time of her passing - dying after suffering cardiac arrest with the official cause of death still pending toxicology results by the Los Angeles County Coroner.

Jessica Simpson: Night Out in NYC

Continuing along with her holiday stay on the east coast, Jessica Simpson was spotted stepping out in New York City on Wednesday evening (December 23).

The 29-year-old singer/actress was joined by her mother Tina, with the pair staying in the Big Apple while Ashlee continues along with her “Chicago” Broadway stage duties.

Meanwhile, Jessica has had quite the interesting past month - making headlines for a variety of bemusing topics.

After kicking off a budding romance with Smashing Pumpkins rocker Billy Corgan, the "Dukes of Hazzard" damsel then turned up in the news for a failed attempt to bail her makeup artist, Mary Phillips, out of jail.

A few days later, Miss Simpson found herself denying reports that she flirted with affair-stricken golfer Tiger Woods last summer, tweeting of the matter, "Can't believe that I'm on the cover of star [sic] magazine with Tiger Woods, what a JOKE! The Shocking Inside Story' is (insert drumroll) A LIE!"

Most recently, Jess posted quite the interesting video on her Twitter account which showed her using a candle to clear out her ears in an ancient practice known as ear candling.

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden: Holiday Retail Mates

Excited for what's sure to be a fun filled holiday season with their two kiddies, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden were out finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping in West Hollywood on Tuesday (December 22).

The former "Simple Life" star and the Good Charlotte rocker stopped by the Roseark jewelry boutique following Miss Richie's unsuccessful trip to 14 Karats the previous day.

Aside from prepping for the holidays with Joel, Harlow and little Sparrow, Nicole, 28, is also currently working on her upcoming half-hour sitcom in development at ABC.

As previously reported by Gossip Center, "the pilot centers around a professional woman with complicated family relationships who is struggling to figure out what role she'll take as her life and her family evolve."

Kate Hudson Reunites with Ryder in Aspen

Fresh off of a flight out of Santa Monica, Kate Hudson reunited with her growing son Ryder in snowy Aspen, Colorado on Monday afternoon (December 21).

After stopping for a warm beverage, the mother/son duo took a leisurely stroll around town - as Kate made the trip to the mountain locale to celebrate Christmas after her much publicized split from Yankee Alex Rodriguez earlier this month.

As for her breakup with A-Rod, a source recently told the NY Daily News, “Kate is better off without A-Rod. She had much better chemistry with Owen Wilson.”

The insider adds, “Alex is such a diva. When he came to the London premiere of ‘Nine,’ it was obvious he didn’t like standing in the background. He’’d show up late to every appearance.”