Summer is perhaps my favorite season. But, of late, I’ve experienced my fair share of trepidation about what to wear. When a certain level of camouflage is the obvious choice these days, it’s difficult to know how dress for the heat while cleverly covering the fleshier parts of my anatomy. Unfortunately, for me, “letting it all hang out” is no longer an option.

However I may be in the growing minority of older women who feel that way. I just came across an article with amazing photos of three 50+ bikini-clad women. According to the piece, more and more midlife women are ditching the staid and modestly demure one-piece for the saucy two-piece variety—so much so that fashionistas are dubbing this cheeky garb, “grankini!”

Two of the skimpily attired women pictured, Jerry Hall and Kim Catrall, both 54, looked great. But the third model was the hottest of all. At 65, the stunning Helen Mirren, clad in a jaw-dropping red grankini, left the others pounding sand.  The sight of her abs alone had me curtail my planned trip to the fridge and drop to the ground for several long overdue crunches.

Just as I was coming up for air, however, I remembered it’s late August and summer is almost over. Although I always hate to see the season of sun and fun pass by, that leaves me an entire nine months to crunch my muffin-top to smithereens.

So move over, Helen, there’ll be a brand new grankini on the beach next year. Or maybe not—maybe I’ll start a new fashion trend in 2011 that’s much more doable. Anyone out there up for “Big Mama Muumuus?”

When the ball in Times Square drops this year signaling the start of 2011, the first of our generation officially become senior citizens. Sixty-five! YIKES!

No doubt about it, this particular birthday can blow your mind and challenge the very essence of your flower power. In truth, I’ve already had to face up to wrinkles, blotches, puckers and the like—not to mention that doggone muffin-top—staring back at me each time I have the courage to peer into a mirror. Yet I do realize that age is just a number… but sixty-five—that’s a doozey!

Nevertheless, I’m always proud of stating that we boomers are revolutionizing the spirit and style of aging and it suddenly occurred to me we have real life examples of this. So let’s take a look at just a few of the amazing boomer women who’ll be celebrating their sixty-fifth in 2011. Check out what sixty-five looks like now:

Candice Bergen (May 9, 1946)

Cher (May 26, 1946)

Patti Duke (Dec. 14, 1946)

Sally Field (November 6, 1946)

Diane Keaton (January 5, 1946)

Dolly Parton (January 19, 1946)

Susan Sarandon (October 4, 1946)

These women were all drawn from Hollywood and the stage and, yes, they’ve undoubtedly enjoyed their share of rejuvenating treatments, wrinkle minimizing facials, and air-brushed photos. But still and all, they do represent our fabulous and feisty forever-young spirit. So, just like we’ve revolutionized every aspect of the culture that doesn’t suit our liking, here we go again: Watch out world! Sixty-five is gettin’ groovy. Far out!

Nevertheless, there is one large and formidable bastion that has yet to acquiesce to our demand for visibility. Hollywood is still caught up in the male fantasy of the nubile twenty-something-year-old paired with the aging and oh-so-commanding hero. Yes, there have been some cracks in the movie moguls’ glass ceiling. There are shows like “Cougar Town” (starring an actress in her mid forties) and a smattering of older actresses do appear on the small screen. But, if it weren’t for Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Helen Mirren, we’d be hard pressed to find many wrinkles gracing the faces of female leads on the silver screen.

As distressing as this might be, just like Dylan sang way back when, “the times they are a-changin’.” And we owe much of this change to one feisty group of actresses who decided to take matters into their own hands. Led by Debbie Zipp, the ladies from In the Trenches Productions are in the business of reflection. They are reflecting the faces of gals over fifty back at us—not the botoxed, pulled back, waxen-like super Hollywood variety—real faces with laugh lines, crinkles, and age spots.

Their films run the gamut from touching to informative to hilarious. I have several favorites but my all time #1 is “Believe It Baby!” Be sure and stop by their amazing site and take some time to view the incredible films they offer. They’re all free (a true public service and a cause each of us will want to support). I promise you’ll come away from the experience entertained, renewed, and empowered—the furthest thing from feeling invisible.

Debbie and her colleagues are true heroines in my book. They’ve started a grass roots movement to take on tinsel town and, step-by-step, film-by-film, they’re succeeding in putting our faces front and center. So movie moguls—beware! We older gals are on the move and there’s a lot of heat to be generated by a group of menopausal broads on a mission. In fact, I think I can smell your tinsel melting already. Go get ‘em, Debbie!

A former model and fashion expert for more than thirty years, Kim starts out her book with some personal revelations about coming to terms with her own changing body. She goes on to report that her closet “ditched her for a younger woman” as she came to the startling realization that several items in her wardrobe no longer fit or flattered.

So Kim got down to work. The result is a highly readable and information-packed book full of humor and good-natured advice. Reading it is like sitting across the table from the author over a cup of tea and having her dish her hottest insider fashion tips. A few of Kim’s suggestions include:

• Assess, dejunk, and renew your closet on a regular basis
• Artfully highlight your assets with bold accessories, while downplaying the parts of your body you’d rather not emphasize
• 20 steps for determining age appropriate clothing
• Finding your own style mentors and much, much more.

By following Kim’s guidelines you’ll find yourself dressing with a sense of confidence, flair, and, yes, even a bit of ageless panache. Who knew that a couple of well-placed accessories, the right color to draw the eye, and the flip of a collar could make such a difference?

But even more, this book will lift your spirits in a big, big way. Kim’s all about inspiring and empowering us to make better choices for ourselves, so do yourself a favor and check out our interview and take a look at her website. After all, finding your ageless style is just the thing to help you strut your stuff with confidence and make your own feisty side of fifty fabulous indeed!

Not so with Jane! Lisa Beatty, the site’s chief Jane, set out to change all that and embarked on a 7-week, nation-wide Listening Tour. She spoke with women of all ages about their frustrations over the lack of finding what they want in the stores and their suggestions for change. Armed with a wealth of information, Lisa founded the first women’s opinion community, giving women a place to solve problems, share ideas, and shape the products and services that affect them.

Jane Nation and its followers are on a mission to transform the marketplace into a more female-friendly, customer-focused environment. The site is a wonderfully organized and inclusive, and is made up of forums, sisterhoods, networks and more. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Lisa and hope you’ll spend the 15 minutes to hear what she has to say.

As boomers, we’re a new breed of women over 50 and we’re demanding to be seen and heard. Like I say in my introduction on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio: “no invisible shrinking violets here!” So get out there, join the Janes, speak your mind, and show Madison Avenue and the rest of the suits just how feisty a woman over 50 can be!

I’m always claiming that boomer woman have transformed the spirit and style of aging. Now one of our own has written the definitive guide to help us navigate the rockier aspects of midlife and sail through the transition with style and panache.

Barbara Hannah Grufferman was a top executive in magazine and periodical publishing for many years. When she turned fifty, she wanted to remain fashionably hip, healthy, and happy so she went in search of information to help her do just that. Although she did find several books on aging, she realized there was a need for a comprehensive guide to keep women feeling vibrant in every area of their lives. So, being the can-do boomer she is, she wrote one!

The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More has achieved the author’s goal and more. It’s packed with helpful and cutting edge information that you’ll refer to again and again. Barbara turned to the experts and queried everyone from Diane Von Furstenberg to heart expert, Dr. Jennifer Mieres asking their advice on a range of issues impacting the femme d’un certain âge.

Best of all, Barbara doesn’t leave us with trends and generalities. She provides specifics. Her book is chock-full of product names, resources, and practical tools. You’ll find everything from shopping for the best brands of blush to questions you should ask when shopping for a financial planner.

Give yourself a 15-minute treat and listen to our interview on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. And, when you’ve finished, head on over to Barbara’s website, take a look at her vast array of resources and order her book. After all, having the best of everything after 50 is a very feisty thing to do!

As the author of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, she writes with skill and wit of the deep and lasting bonds of female friendship. And, true to her theme, on her website Judith encourages her fellow writers by sharing her tips on: honing your craft, marketing your work, and networking with fellow writers and authors. Be certain to check out her informative and helpful site and take a look at her remarkable book—it’s a great read for any mature woman who treasures her friends.

As a young woman, Judith lived the life that many of us dreamed of: she was a model! So, again true to her belief in supporting her fellow females, Judith is sharing her make-up tips for those of us who celebrated our half-century birthday a while back. Just because we now find ourselves inhaling huge quantities of air to blow out all of those candles, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look great doing it!

So here are some of Judith’s must-try make-up techniques in her own words:

“Has your look expired?  Are you still following the same make-up regime you did when you where 35?  Or 40?  Wake-up, girlfriend.  The Big Five-Oh decade and beyond means it’s time for a make-up makeover.  So put down your black eye liner and pay attention.

As we age, we have to be more specific about the colors and textures of make-up we use.  So let’s start from the beginning…

Face: Don’t use a heavy foundation and beware of mineral make-up (it can settle in cracks and creases and make you look drier than the Mojave).  Try liquid foundation mixed with moisturizer.  Apply it with a flat foundation brush and then pat it in with a sponge (don’t rub or you’ll wipe it off.)  If you have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes, dab on a tiny (and I mean tiny) amount of concealer with your ring finger after you’ve applied your foundation. I like Effacernes Waterproof Undereye Concealer by Lancome, but any lightweight product will do.  If you use powder to set your make-up, do so sparingly and use a translucent powder.  A little bronzer can be nice in the summer, but again, use sparingly only on forehead, cheeks, and chin.

Blush: Although they can give you a more dewy look, I find cream blushes hard to control.  I prefer powder in a peachy or pink tone.  I like Orgasm by Nars. The key is where to apply it.  Here’s the trick. Smile and apply blush on the apples of your cheeks, then sweep your brush up and out toward your temple, as if drawing the number 6.

Eyebrows: As we age, eyebrows become sparse.  You sometimes loose the tails completely.  Use a pencil rather than powder, which can be too harsh.  Make sure the pencil is sharpened to a point and use short, feather strokes to fill in your brows.

Eyes: Even if your eyelids have more folds than an Origami swan, covering your lids with a pale peach or pink shadow opens the eye. (Rule:  light bring out, dark takes away.)  Forget about a deeper color in the crease (if you can even find the crease).  Those days are gone.  Next comes eyeliner.  Yes, you can still wear it.  But choose a softer color — brown or charcoal.  My new favorite is navy.  It looks good with any eye color and makes the whites of your eyes pop.  Use a powder or pencil, liquid is too hard to control.  Keep the line close to your upper lashes, and extend it a smidge (no Cleopatra eyes, please) beyond-and-up from the outer lid to create an uplift.  Smudge it with a Q-tip, curl your lashes, and apply mascara.

Lips: By age 50+, your lips tend to be dry and perhaps flaky.  Prep them with a lip balm or primer, then before applying lipstick, line them with a nude lip pencil or one that matches your selected shade.  Avoid anything darker – the 80s are gone. If you have a problem with feathering, there are lots of lipsticks and stains targeted for this. Remember, darker shades exaggerate little lines and flakes and can make your mouth look smaller.

One last tip: Don’t spend a lot of money on color.  Save it for your skin care or perhaps even a facelift!”

Thank you, Judith!

What is it about this energetic and charismatic woman that has such a hold on the popular culture? Others in the media are energetic and charismatic but their stars seem to shine far less brightly than the mega-watt power exuded by Winfrey. One thing is for sure: nobody handed her success on a silver platter. As a child, Oprah would have been an unlikely choice to aspire to the heights of media success. When she was born, there were woefully few female or black faces on the tube and, if they did make it to TV, their roles reflected their lack of social power.

Robyn Okrant, thirty-seven-year-old Chicago dweller, performance artist, and yoga instructor sought out to discover the true influence of the Oprah effect by attempting to live “her best life” the Oprah way for a solid year. As she described it during our 15-minute interview on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio, she decided to play “crash test dummy for a year” and follow Oprah’s edicts word-for-word.

Every day, Robyn tuned in to listen to Oprah and her expert guests present their ideas on living our best lives healthfully and fully. Of course, some of these guidelines were easier to follow than others. Despite the difficulty, however, Robyn faithfully executed the latest pronouncements from the experts– if Oprah gave them her personal stamp of approval. Robyn dieted, exercised, meditated, and selected clothing according to Oprah’s rules and chronicled her journey in living the Oprah way on her daily blog.

Robyn has just released her book, Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk. It’s not only a hoot, laced with the trials and tribulations of attempting to incorporate lifestyle ideals into the author’s daily habits; the book is also filled with insight. Living Oprah is a true celebration of the uniqueness to be found within each of us. So, if you’re looking for a great read, you can find out more about Robyn and her book on her website.

And, if you or a boomer friend are unemployed and looking for a job, learn the 10 top strategies for finding work over 50. Land the Job You Love is packed with insider tips to present your strengths both verbally and on paper in the most effective and results-producing way. If you want to find work quickly and successfully be certain and check this out.

Well, I’m here to tell you, as real as these roadblocks may appear; they are not true for you! That is… if you arm yourself with the right attitude. December can actually be one of the best months to look for work! What? Yes, you read that right!

Statistically, January and February tend to be the strongest hiring months of the year, so this is prime time to get yourself out and about and in front of people. Be sure to attend holiday parties—professional associations, community organizations, clubs and church groups all have events that give you the opportunity to mix and mingle with others. And don’t forget about your friends and associates. Even though you may not see a direct link to your next job, you never know whom they might know. In landing a job, it’s often the case that positions are obtained through friends of friends of friends.

Better yet, most job seekers discount December as a prime time to search for work. They figure “why bother?” nothing much goes on during the holidays. It is true that you may not be hired during the next couple of weeks but, by actively getting out there and letting people know what you can do, you’re setting yourself up for getting interviews in January. So December is actually a great month: your competition levels drop and your opportunities are on the rise!

As many of you know, I’ve been a career and life transition counselor for close to twenty years and my focus has been on working with baby boomers. My first book on job search aimed at the older candidate is due out shortly. I’ll let you know as soon as it goes into publication because it’s loaded with valuable tips for the over fifty set.

In the meantime, remember that mingling and mistletoe go great together. And each of us can say a jolly: ho-ho-ho to that!

There is a fascinating series on PBS that explores just such luxuries and it’s a true feast for the senses. Bill Stubbs, host of Moment of Luxury, takes you around the world as he explores castles and gardens, mansions and vacation retreats, the finest wines and the most delectable chocolates, and much, much more. Best of all, you get to experience all the lavish outings and sumptuous delicacies from the comfort of your couch. What could be more luxurious than that?

Bill is a great choice for host—not only is he warm and engaging, he makes luxury accessible and fun. Bill also knows all about it: he’s is an award-winning designer with his own interior design firm, William W. Stubbs and Associates. In fact, Architectural Digest recognized him as one of the world’s top 100 designers.

According to Bill, experiencing luxury doesn’t need to be expensive. I interviewed him on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio and he shared his thoughts on simple ways we can add moments of luxury to our lives every single day. Take a listen to our interview and learn about his favorite Christmas tree. Hold on to your hat—this one cost him a whopping $2.50! And he’s got lots more tips on giving our homes that added flair and style without breaking the bank.

Be sure and check your local PBS listings for Moment of Luxury and don’t forget their website. There you can find and watch episodes of the show. Also, you won’t want to miss Bill’s great ideas for creating special moments of luxury in your own life. (He’s loaded with ‘em!)

After all, there’s no doubt about it, as women over fifty we’ve earned each and every moment of luxury we can get. So relax and enjoy—you deserve it!