Christmas came early for Dancing With the Stars’s Julianne Hough.

Five months after breaking onto the country music scene, the professional dancer is releasing The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, a Christmas CD available exclusively at Target.

“I picked all my favorites - the ones that I want to wrap Christmas presents to, or listen to at a big party,” Hough, 20, told PEOPLE after announcing this year’s crop of American Music Award nominees in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

Hough’s not the only country crooner with a new holiday CD - Sheryl Crow released a Southern-tinged CD through Hallmark Gold Crown stores, and Faith Hill recently debuted her first seasonal album, Joy to the World.

But Hough says there’s enough holiday cheer to go around. “It’s so timeless,” she says. “You can do these classics and put your own twist on it.”

Since she had to record her album in the summer months, Hough filled the recording studio with Christmas decorations and wore a Santa hat to help her get in the spirit.

When the holidays arrive, she’ll be heading home to her family’s home in Utah where she’ll continue their tradition of lounging in pajamas and sipping hot chocolate.

“We usually go to Utah because of the snow,” said Hough, the youngest of five siblings who grew up near Salt Lake City. “Snowboarding, skiing, sledding, snowmobiling - it’s pretty dangerous, but we’re all daredevils.”

Reporting by Marisa Laudadio

Sheryl Crow is gearing up to release her first Christmas album, and PEOPLE.com has an exclusive first-listen of one of the tracks, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

Listen to the song here:

“It’s the coolest Christmas record - the songs all have a Southern feel,” Crow, 46, tells PEOPLE. “It’s my take on Christmas carols that I love and a lot of standard songs of the church, like ‘O Holy Night.’ ”

Crow’s Home For Christmas CD features nine classic holiday tunes and one original song called “There is a Star That Shines Tonight.” It will be available exclusively through Hallmark Gold Crown stores starting Sept. 30.

“Christmas Eve is when I start to really feel the meaning of Christmas,” says Crow. “We all go to church and about 50 people come over to my family’s house. It’s just something I look forward to every year.”

Crow recorded her Christmas album with producer Bill Bottrell, who produced her first two albums and her latest CD, Detours.

Complete track listing:
Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Christmas Song
White Christmas
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Merry Christmas, Baby
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Blue Christmas
O Holy Night
There is a Star That Shines Tonight
All Through the Night

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It looked, felt and even smelled like a rock concert with the $6.50 nachos, the crowd filling Denver’s 76,000-seat Mile High Stadium and the opening acts by superstars Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder. But instead of upheld lighters, American flags filled the stands as Barack Obama officially accepted the Democrats’ nomination to be the party’s candidate in the 2008 race for the White House.

Michelle Obama, in a red and black dress, watched from the front row of what the Democratic Party called an open-air convention and doted on their young daughters as if they were at home in Chicago. But the closing night of the Democratic Convention in Denver was in fact - with the fireworks, streamers and ecstatic crowds stomping their feet as if to collapse the stadium - a piece of political theater on a scale this country has never seen.

After taking the stage, thanking the crowd countless times and accepting his party’s nomination, Sen. Obama, 47, turned the attention to those closest to him.

“To the love of my life, our next first lady, Michelle Obama, and to Malia and Sasha,” he said at the podium, “I love you so much and I’m so proud of you.”

Michelle, 44, beaming, blew her husband a kiss.

In the film, his wife Michelle described falling in love with her husband - but not immediately. “I thought ‘Barack Obama? Who would name their kid Barack Obama?’” Michelle said with a grin. And Barack, looking back, had to agree: “Barack Obama - that’s a killer,” he said of his name.

But after several attempts, Barack told the crowd, he finally convinced his future wife to go to a meeting with him in the basement of a church in Chicago. Watching Obama speak to the members of the South Side community assembled there, Michelle admitted in the video, “That was it. After that day … I was in love with him.”

Looking Ahead

In his speech, the candidate laid out what he would do for the country if elected: cut taxes for working families, get out of Iraq, end dependency on foreign oil and make affordable health care accessible to all. With words that brought the crowd to its feet, Obama appealed to the compassion of the individual. “That’s the promise of America,” he said, “the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.”

He also promised to restore the nation’s reputation as the world’s “last, best hope.”

When the speech was over, vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill joined Obama, Michelle, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, on stage as fireworks went off and streamers poured down. As Jill Biden wiped away tears, the little girls in pink dresses played with confetti and waved to the roaring crowd.

The nitty-gritty of the campaign would begin again the next day, but walking off the stage, the first African-American nominee for president, surrounded by his family, turned around and took one last look at the historic scene.

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He’s only just become the official Democratic nominee, but it seems Barack Obama already has the celebrity vote sewn up.

His moving acceptance speech at Denver’s 2008 Democratic National Convention was watched by a bevy of cheering stars Thursday night.

One of the most moved? Oprah Winfrey, a longtime supporter, who told the Associated Press, “I cried my eyelashes off.”

“I think it’s the most powerful thing I have ever experienced,” added the daytime queen, comparing his words to Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream Speech.” (Fitting, then, that Obama’s prime-time speech fell on the 45th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s famous address.)

But she was not alone in her praise. Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie called the speech “amazing,” while Jessica Alba found it “incredible.”

“What I hope happens is the country doesn’t forget the jubilation and excitement that’s been generated here,” Kim told the AP. “And I hope it turns into something that changes the world.”

Warming up for Obama’s oration, will.i.am performed his single “Yes We Can” with John Legend. And as Sheryl Crow belted out “Change is Gonna Come” from the stage, Anne Hathaway and Susan Sarandon sang along in the stands.

But the real star of the night was undoubtedly Obama, who officially accepted the party’s nomination with a simple entreaty: “America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future.”

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It’s now question of who isn’t attending Stand Up to Cancer, the Sept. 5 multi-network TV charity event that’s raising money to fight the disease.

New additions to the line-up include Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Abigail Breslin, Kate Bosworth, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner, Brad Garrett, Angie Harmon, Tony Hawk, Marg Helgenberger, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Mandy Moore, Sharon Osbourne, Josh Peck, Mekhi Phifer, Keanu Reeves, Jimmy Smits, David Spade and Carrie Underwood.

And some of music’s biggest stars, including Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Fergie and Miley Cyrus, will perform their charity single “Just Stand Up,” which benefits Stand Up to Cancer.

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It was a very earthy opening: On the eve of the Democratic National Convention’s kick-off, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland and the Dave Matthews Band drew some 8,000 fans and environmental activists to their “Green Sunday.”

“What better place to spend this incredible weekend!” said Crow amid the magnificent natural rock formations of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver.

Opening the concert, Crow performed, among other tunes, “God Bless This Mess.”

Matthews, whose saxophonist LeRoi Moore died last week from injuries sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident, admitted to being a man of few words - on stage, at least.

“Nice to be in a place where a lot of people are talking with a whole lot of sense,” he said.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine introduced his home-state favorite, the Dave Matthews Band, and alluded to Moore’s death. He said the band, just as Barack Obama did, will succeed in their uphill struggle.

“This has been a tough, tough week for these guys,” said Kaine. “They will climb this.”

A day after they married in a low-key civil ceremony in a Paris City Hall, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker have done it again - this time in a church.

The Desperate Housewives actress and the basketball star married Saturday in front of about 250 guests in a religious ceremony at the historic Church of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois, located in the 1st Arrondissement opposite the Louvre museum.

Longoria wore a couture Angel Sanchez mermaid gown made of silk wool, with silk gazar metallic embroidery, a scoop back and a long train. (See a sketch below.)

Teri Hatcher waved to the throng of photographers as she entered the church, which was decorated with 1,000 flowers for the ceremony officiated by Father Dominic Schubert.

Other guests ducked behind a large screen placed to shield them from the press. Their cellphones and cameras were sealed in plastic bags before they entered the church.

After the ceremony, the couple and their celebrity guests headed for a reception at the Chateau of Vaux le Vicomte, a 17th century castle outside Paris.

Earlier, Sheryl Crow, Jessica Alba and Longoria’s Desperate Housewives co-stars Nicollette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman - with husband William H. Macy - were all spotted at the tony Park Hyatt Paris, along with Mario Lopez and Ryan Seacrest. Sheridan was seen carrying a Christian Louboutin shopping bag into the hotel.

French-raised Parker, 25, a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, and Longoria, 32, got engaged last November. After two wedding ceremonies, they are now not short on presents. Gifts from guests included personalized Oceanaut watches ($2,895 and $3,295) engraved with “Eva %26 Tony 07-07-07.” And another friend bought the two Fendi Casa travel pillows ($200 each) for the long flight back.

Longoria’s bridesmaids received Rafe Swarovski snakeskin clutches ($395) to match their dresses. Female guests also got a custom shade of L’Oreal Paris lipstick called Pink Romance.

Saturday’s celebrations capped off a week of partying, shopping and socializing - including a his-and-her bachelor parties in St. Tropez. Many of the guests are staying in the same hotel as the couple, who have an $11,000-a-night suite at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.

• Reporting by COURTNEY RUBIN, PETE NORMAN AND PETER MIKELBANK

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Sheryl Crow is putting her money - and music - where her mouth is.

As part of Rock the Vote’s pre-election push, the singer is giving away a free digital copy of her album Detours to the first 50,000 people who register three friends.

“I hope people wake up and emotionally engage in issues,” the 46-year-old Grammy winner, who has a 1-year-old son, Wyatt, told the Associated Press Wednesday.

The album itself has plenty of political undertones, covering subjects like adoption, breast cancer, the war in Iraq and the environment. “It’s about the issues that everyone’s talking about,” she told the wire service. “But there’s a lot of hope.”

Crow helped found Rock the Vote 18 years ago.

Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer this month, revealed on ABC’s Good Morning America Tuesday that she has undergone a double mastectomy - even though cancer was only detected in one of her breasts.

Privately, she admits, “Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I scream, and I get really angry and I get really into wallowing in self-pity sometimes, and I think it’s all part of healing.”

Having watched her mother, Nancy Priddy, battle breast cancer - and then suffer from a recurrence many years later - the Emmy-nominated star of Samantha Who?, 36, told interviewer Robin Roberts that she wasn’t taking any chances, especially since she has the breast cancer gene, BRCA1.

Explaining her rationale in taking that dramatic step, she said, “I didn’t want to go back to the doctors every four months for testing and squishing and everything. I just wanted to kind of be rid of this whole thing for me. This was the choice that I made, and it was a tough one.”

The surgery took place three weeks ago. She did not undergo radiation or chemotherapy.

Applegate, whose initial reaction when she received her diagnosis, was. “Oh my god. I was so pissed off, so mad … I was just shaking.” But then, she said, “Immediately I had to go into take-care-of-business mode.”

Plans for Reconstructive Surgery

Asked her prognosis, Applegate told Roberts, also a cancer survivor, “I’m clear. Absolutely 100-percent clear and clean.”

Over the next eight months she will undergo reconstructive surgery. I’m gonna have cute boobs till I’m 90,” she quipped, as Roberts pointed out how Applegate’s sense of humor has helped the actress endure the ordeal.

Applegate also cited her 67-year-old mother, whom she described as “a quiet warrior.”

“I watched her have a mastectomy, and then I watched her go through two years of chemotherapy and eight surgeries and a hysterectomy,” said Applegate. “I’ve watched this woman survive both of those things, so for me there was always that sense that I was going to be okay, no matter what.”

Early Detection Was Key

Applegate, who began getting mammograms at the age of 30 because of her family’s medical history, said the cancer was detected through an MRI ordered by her doctor as a follow-up to a biopsy she had last year.

“Besides me being really vigilant about it %26#91;mammograms and self-examinations%26#93;, it is the No.-1 reason I am going to live.”

Having become familiar to TV audiences in her role as sassy teen Kelly Bundy on Married … With Children, Applegate said she plans to return to the set of ABC’s Samantha Who? when filming resumes in September.

She is also set to appear in the all-star TV special Stand Up to Cancer, airing Sept. 5 on ABC, CBS and NBC and raising funds for cancer research. Applegate also noted she plans to raise money for MRIs and gene testing.

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Sheryl Crow’s simple, laidback style wasn’t always so effortless, the singer revealed to a group of college students Wednesday.

“It was a big internal battle for me, between being a vamp and being credible as an artist,” Crow informed 25 students at GRAMMY SoundChecks, a program that offers students the opportunity to experience a sound-check rehearsal with an artist.

Crow said her experiments with different looks did not always sit well with record label execs - or fans.

“One time I colored my hair dark and had a meeting at the label and one of the guys looked at me, obviously upset and said, ‘You’re going to change that back, right?’ ” she said. “Then when I cut my hair short, my career tanked for about four years!”

Tour Kicks Off

Crow certainly doesn’t have to worry about success anymore. Her 25-city Detours tour kicks off Thursday at the Sommet Center in Nashville, where she lives on a rural farm with 15-month old son Wyatt and a stable full of horses.

Nowadays, Crow measures her credibility by her mothering skills. Her phone rang several times during the event and she smiled, explaining that it was the nanny, checking on Wyatt’s bedtime. “I’ve been away from him all day. I’m always with him. He comes on the road and has 30 daddies to carry him around. It’s hard, not being there to put him to bed.”

Despite her busy schedule, she says being a mom and living in Nashville gives her a chance to have a low-key life with her son. “It’s easy to live here. There’s no paparazzi hounding you. People are very genuine and easygoing.”

Still, it’s not that normal: Crow keeps some high-wattage company in town. “I had lunch recently with Sara Evans and Faith Hill,” she said. “No one bothered us at all. We were able to eat and talk and enjoy each other’s company.”