I bet she gave up Creme Eggs, too

Every time I see a picture of Christina Ricci not looking like the girl your parents wouldn't let you have over after school because she was "a bad influence" - watch The Opposite of Sex and you'll know what I mean - I always try to figure out exactly when it was she underwent the transformation from bad girl to sophisticated woman.

Here in photos from the upcoming issue of Elle, the delectable Ms. Ricci shows off her tight little frame and what Reese Witherspoon refers to as her "haunting beauty" in a collection of clingy haute couture gowns, minis and more minis.

While it's a close race between the first picture and the second for the ensemble I dig the most - though I must admit it's more the arched position of Christina's back than the hotness of the those high-waisted hotpants to which I'm drawn - I have to say my favorite look of the spread is this black flutter-sleeve chiffon and velvet Chanel column gown with celestial-inspired beading and ruched bodice shown below. The dress has an unusual blend of cute schoolgirl accents with a Victorian silhouette and an overall nymph-like lightness to it that looks so stunning on her it makes you forget just how much of her nubile shape the ultra-petite star unfortunately shed for her box-office bomb, Black Snake Moan.

But while her movie may not have struck gold, this new sharp look she keeps flaunting certainly places her in good stead to one day stand among Hollywood's platinum style crowd (i.e. Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Penelope Cruz and on most days, Anne Hathaway as well).

So instead of eating the last of your office's Thin Mints and Trefoils for your 10:30am snack, feast your eyes on the sweet treat that is Christina Ricci's most recent incarnation of adorable-but-entirely-'effable, courtesy of Elle:

'Cause it's been a while.

Contrary to what my patient devotion for a certain individual has taught me, I suppose good things can come to those who wait. That was my first reaction, anyway, to these much-awaited photos of my number two lady love, Ms. Dita von Teese, who looked glamorous and elegant and delectable as ever at celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's birthday party last night in Las Vegas at The Palms' Moon Nightclub.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Laura Linney, Rachel McAdams, Christina Ricci -- all of these women buck Hollywood's tanorexic trend by spending 12 months out of 12 months without a hint of sun-kissed color. While I've always recognized and envied their willpower to remain pale, it wasn't until I began crushing on Dita, a fellow Michigander I've recently discovered, that a woman with a penchant for alabaster skin has made me seriously consider cutting back a few hours a week on my summer-time bronzing efforts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely sold on the idea of beach umbrellas and SPF 45, but I also can't deny the drama in the contrast between Teese-me's white skin and red lips and her white skin and the black of her deep-plunge long-sleeve Rita-esque cocktail dress. The red-on-white-on-black elevates her look to a level of high-class old-world sophistication someone with the same standout figure with a Mystic Tan - or even a natural, well-earned Maui tan - could never achieve.

Unfortunately for the health of my sun-addicted skin, I could only read about her famously saucy "Birds of Paradise" burlesque performance; had I actually been able to see how her skin looked firsthand against a blood red crystal-encrusted chest-baring bustier, I'm near positive it would have been enough to motivate me to throw out my five bikinis, jumbo bottle of SuperStars Super Sheen Bronzing Mist ($18 at sephora.com) and the coupon magnet-ed to my fridge for a free 10-minute helix session at Solar Planet on 21st and P.

Maybe I will see "Black Snake Moan" after all...

I know these shots of Christina are probably photo-shopped to the hilt, but even so, I'm now seriously considering reallocating the $10.75 I was saving for my second showing of 300 to listen to bluegrass and watch Ms. Ricci chained to a radiator for 2+ hours.

That I would use my own money to see a film in which Justin Timberlake has even a small part is a testament to how seriously I'm considering Christina for membership to my girl-crush club.

Granted, in the film, she's too thin, has a busted lip, bad dye job and spends the majority of her time acting strung out in nothing but a super-cropped Confederate Flag tee and pair of suspiciously soiled bikini briefs, but perhaps the longer I look at these photos, the easier it will be to mentally superimpose this makes-her-look-half-Asian makeup job over all those facial lacerations.

Christina Ricci looking damn hot in haute couture in the new issue of mean magazine*:

*it looks like the JV needs to give the Varsity some help when it comes to choosing a knock-your-socks-off cover shot. Marie Claire, take note.