Nicole Richie has checked herself into a Los Angeles hospital. A representative for Richie [says], “Nicole has checked into Ceders Sinai where she is being treated for pneumonia. She is doing well.” Earlier this week, a Los Angeles judge has granted Richie a permanent restraining order against two celebrity photographers who she says are harassing her. Richie, 28, appeared at the court hearing Monday afternoon accompanied by her rocker partner, Joel Madden. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson approved Richie’s petition for a three year restraining order against the paparazzi. Two weeks ago, the actress was granted a temporary restraining order after her Range Rover was rear ended at a Beverly Hills intersection, according to police. The reality T.V. actress was hurt in the crash that took place at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Canon Drive on October 5th. Richie says the driver of that car, Edwardo Arrivabene, 29, and another photographer, Ivon Emilio Melo Miguel continue to follow her and her children in an attempt to take pictures of them. Arrivabene was arrested after the crash and was booked for driving without a license. His car was also impounded. Arrivabene told KTLA that he and Miguel were entirely to blame for the accident and they were sorry. He also said that he planned to pay for any and all damages. He said the crash happened when Arrivabene tried to pick up a camera that had fallen to the floor of the car. According to Richie’s court filing, the men “scream at the reality show actress” in an attempt to get a reaction from her. She says she is frightened by the harassment and is in fear for her own safety and the safety of her children. Judge Goodson granted the orders against Arrivabene and Miguel who agreed to stay 50 yards away from Richie. Miguel apologized and said he would not take pictures of her if she didn’t want him to. Both Richie and Madden say they don’t want either man to take pictures of them anymore. Judge Goodson said she was concerned about impeding the photographers’ First Amendment rights to take pictures, but issued the order after both men said they would abide by the ruling. Richie and Madden, have two children. Sparrow James Midnight Madden was born in September and Harlow turns 2 in January.

While I’m certain that Nicole’s legal woes are not to blame for her sudden illness I can imagine that the upsetting state of having to go to court to deal with all of this drama has been a drain on her mentally and physically. I understand that pneumonia can be pretty brutal so I wish her a speedy and full recovery. Here’s hoping Nicole’s stay in the hospital will be a relaxing and short one. Get well soon, Nicole!!

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

As you can see, Nic/Joel did not bring along their newborn baby boy Sparrow James to enjoy the pumpkin picking fun … but it looks like a fun time was had by all. They are just so cute! I wonder if we’re gonna be able to see what Harlow is dressing up as for Hallowe’en.

[Source]

They may have their hands full with newborn Sparrow and 21-month old Harlow, but Nicole Richie and Joel Madden took time away from home on Thursday to take care of some less privileged kids: After 13 months of fundraising, the couple broke ground on a new playground at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles. “It’s so rewarding to see the smile on these kids faces,” Richie, 28, tells PEOPLE. Several of the pint-sized inhabitants of Beyond Shelter’s Broadway Village 2, a shelter in an L.A. neighborhood with the highest concentration of crime and poverty, turned out to celebrate the happy news that they would soon have a place to play. “I spend tons of time here,” says Richie. “When I found out the kids play on a concrete slab or play inside all day, it hit me. Kids need to have an imagination, to be outside and to be free.” So will they soon be having play dates with Harlow? “Absolutely,” says her proud dad, 30. “Now that she’s playground age, she can!” Adds Richie, “We started [the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation] so it could be something that our siblings, parents and our kids could all do together. It’s something we talk to her about all the time.” Next up for the couple, who raised $35,000 for the playground with the help of C&C California and Marble Slab Creamery, is 4EveryBaby, an online baby registry for mothers in need. Madden jokes that with all the projects Harlow has inspired, including Richie’s jewelry line House of Harlow 1960, the couple are brainstorming a project in Sparrow’s honor. “Sparrow’s going to get an awesome club,” he quipped. “Because he’s awesome.”

This is great news … I know Nic/Joel have been working so hard for so long to raise the funds to build this playground … it’s wonderful to see that they are finally at the construction phase. I’m sure the kids really appreciate their hard work and are very much looking forward to enjoying the playground once it’s completed. It’s pretty fantastic that with all the personal and professional stuff going on their lives, Nicole and Joel still make it a priority to give back to the community. Kudos to them!! If you would like to donate to The Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation so that the couple can keep funding projects like this you can get more information on how to do so HERE.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Nicole Richie has a new baby and a new contemporary women’s clothing line. The label, Winter Kate, which will debut in spring, expands a fashion business that already includes the accessories line House of Harlow 1960 and a maternity collection, Nicole for A Pea in the Pod. The 37-piece Winter Kate line, which takes her daughter Harlow’s two middle names, will hit stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ron Herman, Intermix and Kitson, beginning in February. “It feels as though I’ve always been working on this collection, but officially I started putting it together in early 2009,” said Richie, who is lying low at home after the birth last month of her son, Sparrow. “I’ve wanted to design a clothing collection for a very long time.” Richie, who has become known for her eclectic bohemian style with a Sixties and Seventies flair, said she has torn fashion pages out of magazines for years and also draws inspiration from her favorite animals, including peacocks and other birds. The line includes mostly tops, vests and bed jackets in colorful vintage-inspired silk, crepe and chiffon because these tops are a mainstay of Richie’s own wardrobe. “I probably wear the same two pairs of jeans every day as the background to a fabulous top,” she said. “Bed jackets are a staple of my wardrobe because they are a gorgeous way to give jeans and a white T-shirt a completely different look.” Also key for spring dressing are “definitely a beautiful, fun slip dress in a great print and also a leather jacket to turn the romantic day dress into an edgy night-out outfit,” Richie said. Her collection includes long slip dresses, asymmetrical short dresses, tunics and a kimono-sleeved, maxidress, which are meant to be layered with vests in cotton macramé, suede or silk, or a shrunken leather jacket. “I purposely made the slip dresses in both solids and prints,” Richie said. “Wear the prints by themselves or with a great vest or jacket and wear the solids as basics to an outfit with many layers.” Priced from $35 wholesale for a camisole to $110 for a long kimono dress, and as much as $598 for the leather pieces, the line is positioned similarly to her accessory collection, which now includes shoes for spring. “Fashion should be accessible,” Richie said. “That was my philosophy when designing House of Harlow 1960 and it remains my philosophy for Winter Kate.” Both lines, she noted, are aimed at the same customer. “She is a woman like me: She does not look at labels; she knows how to mix and match. The pieces can be dressed up, made casual, but most importantly, they provide the wearer a means of self-expression and fun.”

Now, I know what you’re thinkin’ … Does the world really need another celeb-designed fashion line? … and you’re prolly right, it doesn’t … but it’s clear that Nicole is working really hard to express herself creatively with these new product lines and she is finding inspiration in her daughter Harlow Winter Kate. You can’t really blame the woman for wanting to create these products when she has such adorable inspiration leading her on … even if the clothes do look a bit like they came from the House of Zbornak (or at least from Dorothy’s closet):

Whether or not this new line will be a success remains to be seen but it’s evident to me that Nicole’s new life as a mom has really given her the push to expand her creative horizons. I wish her the best of luck … mebbe one day she’ll be able to hand the reigns of her fashion empire to Harlow when the time is right.

[Source, thanks Jo]

Six weeks after welcoming their first son, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden – along with their 21-month-old daughter Harlow – are showing off the latest addition to their family, Sparrow James Midnight Madden. “I couldn’t be happier,” Richie tells PEOPLE. “The only thing you want is for your kids to be healthy and happy, and they are. I’m right where I belong.” In an interview at their home in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, Richie, 28, and Madden, 30, her boyfriend and front man of the band Good Charlotte, say they are deprived of sleep, but grateful their daughter Harlow is now fawning over a baby brother. “I’m glad I had a girl before I had a boy,” says Richie. “She just loves him so much.” Adds the children’s proud papa, “She’s very gentle with him.”

I believe this issue of People is on newsstands now and features more of this coverstory interview (including the decision to name their baby boy Sparrow, how Richie’s second pregnancy was different from her first, and how she’s losing her baby weight) and features more photos of Sparrow and the entire happy family. After the jump, check out one of the photos of the Richie-Maddens included in this issue of People magazine …

Man-o-man … look at how cute they are. As Harlow Winter gets older she looks more and more like Nicole … and little Sparrow looks so much like his father Joel Madden. They are just … precious. At last … we get to see what this new little guy looks like … and he’s a doll.

[Source]

It’s pretty amazing how little Harlow just keeps getting cuter and cuter by the second. I understand daddy Joel Madden was working in Las Vegas, NV over the weekend so Nicole got to spend some alonetime with the kiddies. While I’m sure the little duckies were a cute sight to see, I think I’d much rather see a Sparrow when next Nicole (or Joel, for that matter) takes Harlow out for a playdate. As you can see, newborn baby boy Sparrow James didn’t come along on this park excursion … so we’re still waiting for Nic/Joel to give us our first look at their baby boy. I’m sure we’ll be seeing him soon enough … in the meantime, superadorable photos of Harlow Winter will just have to do ;)

[Photo credit: X17]

I’m sure it’s totally normal for women to give birth and then carry on with their normal routines but … HELLO, Nicole looks great! Her baby bump is long gone … she looks fab. While I would love to see photos of little Sparrow James Midnight (hopefully sometime soon), it’s really great seeing Nicole just out and about as if she didn’t just give birth! You go girl, you look great!!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

You may recall that this isn’t even the first time we’ve seen her out and about since she gave birth … Nicole was spotted with Harlow just last Thursday (about one week after she popped). She looks fabulous … Harlow looks adorable … but, HELLO! I think it’s time we got a peek at little Sparrow James already. Here’s hoping Nicole, daddy Joel Madden and BOTH of their little darlings venture out for a family outing into the wild soon ;)

[Photo credit: X17]

Yesterday we saw new photos of new dad Joel Madden out and about for the first time since his son Sparrow James Midnight was born last week and earlier today we saw a few more … but I did not expect that we’d be seeing Nicole out and about so soon after giving birth … and shopping in Beverly Hills, CA no less! Clearly, Nicole as got the whole giving birth thing down … she pops ‘em out and gets right back to her routine. I’m dying at how cute Harlow Winter is … Nic/Joel make some cute babies. I cannot WAIT to see the fruits of their latest labor.

[Photo credit: X17]

In the middle of night, the very early hours of September 9, 2009 Sparrow James Midnight Madden was born to Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. He weighs 7lbs 14oz. Nicole, Joel, Harlow and Sparrow are all doing well. Thank you for all of your good wishes.

Joel tweeted: Geuss who’s back….. Oh i’m sorry we were only having a little baby boy.

I guess it turns out that those rumors we heard back in May about the baby being a boy turned out to be true!! You may recall that we learned over the weekend that Nicole reportedly checked into the hospital to give birth … and at last the Nic/Joel’s second child is born! Surely this must be a magic baby … he was born on 09.09.09. I can only imagine that the little guy is as cute as his big sister Harlow Winter Kate. Much, much love and congrats to the happy family on their expansion!! XO

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source, Source]