For us, the highlight of Sunday's Grammy Awards was not any of the onstage performances. We were more interested in watching Taylor Swift's moves in the audience as she enthusiastically supported her fellow artists (we also enjoyed the resulting GIFs that followed). Later that evening, onlookers were treated to a similar display from Jessica Biel, when she watched hubby Justin Timberlake take the stage at a post-Grammys concert. A witness told Us Weekly that Biel was seen "leaning against the balcony rail and dancing around like crazy to 'SexyBack,' moving her hands all over the place and bopping her head."

We'll admit it: We just love watching celebrities dance awkwardly. So, we put together a compilation of some of their most memorable moves.

There's only so much you can have in common with an alien villain, and Jessica Alba just wants to make sure fans know she's not quite as unhinged as her lovesick character Lena in "Escape From Planet Earth."

Far from feeling related to the character she plays in the animated adventure, the actress assures they are poles apart, especially since she feels particularly lucky in the love department.

"Nothing! That was the funnest part about playing her... I think we all want to be loved, even villains, and this alien has obviously never been lucky with men so she felt the need to find one on another planet," Alba, who is married to producer Cash Warren, told HuffPost Voces. "[She] was even willing to sacrifice her own planet, which to me is another reason to think she's crazy. And I don't feel I am that crazy! "

The actress also said raising her daughters Honor and Heaven was the best way to prepare for the role and the reason she decided to take the opportunity, since the project didn't require her to be away from home for long.

"I think my only preparation [for playing the character] was reading stories to my daughters. When I do it I can use many accents for each character, use deep voices, scream," said the actress. "The location of the production also played a part, it was something I had never considered before being a mom, and now that I am, if I see that a film is being shot for eight months in a very remote place, then I think twice."

And like many other Latino parents in the United States, the Mexican-American, who has said she is very proud of her heritage and even prayed for her girls to be born with tan skin, makes an effort to pass on her Hispanic traditions.

"I do not know ... The things and experiences that I grew up with are the same that I teach them. I do not know if they are specifically considered Latino or not, but for example, when I am with other Latino families I notice it," said the actress to HuffPost Voces." I don’t really know how to answer this question. If it is considered Latino to feed my family Mexican-American food, yes. If we sing Christmas carols in Spanish, yes. But I do not know what else to say."

Alba is not the only Latin star in the new computer animated film. The cast also includes comedian George Lopez and Sofia Vergara, as well as actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Brendan Fraser and Jane Lynch.

The time has come once again: TV shows are starting to get canceled ... and renewed. As the networks begin looking at their schedules and development slates, the fates of your favorite shows are being decided.

Some shows have already been renewed -- fans will get to sink their teeth into a new season of "The Vampire Diaries" -- and others have already ended -- by choice, like "30 Rock," and others due to poor ratings, like "Partners" -- but all will be decided by May.

In the gallery below, more than 100 shows from NBC, Fox, CBS, ABC and The CW have been rated on their renewal status. Shows have been divided by network, in alphabetical order, and labeled as follows:

• Renewed
• Likely to be renewed
• Likely to be canceled
• Too soon to tell
• On the bubble
• Canceled

Some shows have been so deep in limbo we've given them "?" because honestly, we have no idea what's to come for them (though it doesn't look good).

Take a look at the slideshow below for our predicted futures of the hottest shows on network TV. Be sure to bookmark this page since we'll be updating the gallery as more news breaks.

Ellen DeGeneres broke a bottle on Sofia Vergara’s head. Yep, that just happend!

They have done it in the past, and now comedian Ellen DeGeneres and actress Sofía Vergara wanted to demonstrate one more time that they can successfully run a promotional campaign even under the worst circumstances.

During the Valentine's Day episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" the duo recorded a soft drink commercial throughout which the Colombian star faced seagulls, silly string, and Josh Groban as she attempted to finish shooting the ad.

After two broken bottles and many screams, the “Modern Family” star was able to get out alive, but not before making sure all her lines were recited correctly.

In 2011, Vergara also had to go through a similar challenge for a cosmetic product when she was told to read a funny script while using DeGeneres' hands to express herlself. The result? DeGeneres madness!

Take a look above at the funny soda commercial, and below more about the Latina star.

You could say that the chemistry between Katie (Julianne Hough) and Alex (Josh Duhamel) is incendiary in the psychological thriller cum romance Safe Haven. This film by Lasse Hallstrom based upon a Nicholas Sparks novel may be on trend in some unforeseen ways. Without spoiling the inflammatory (pun intended) end for its assured volume of fans, no one you fall in love with dies. But there's some serious damage to property. That detail may resonate for recent hurricane, tornado, and blizzard victims.

With a touch of the supernatural, a tear-jerking plot, a loathsome villain, some adorable kids, and a lot of suspense making music, the film is agreeable enough to be a hit. At the movie's New York premiere at Beauty on Essex, Fern Mallis and Phillip Bloch took a break from fashion week. Danny Aiello, Alan Cumming, Nikki St. James, and Lasse Hallstrom's wife Lena Olin chatted with Duhamel and Hough, also celebrating her cover on the newly revamped Self Magazine.

The very buff Julianne Hough grew up in Utah, a Mormon, lived in London, and never went to college. "That's not a choice I recommend," she added. The very tall Josh Duhamel grew up in North Dakota, and is as appealing up close as he is as the film's dreamboat. Lasse Hallstrom said it was a pleasure working with these actors, but had to keep the movie's sentimental twist because it was in the book.

A version of this post also appears on Gossip Central.

Chris Brown has released a music video for his latest song, "Home" -- take a look above.

The video shows Brown traveling the world for his "Carpe Diem" tour. The rapper hits cities such as Cape Town, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, with footage highlighting crying fans, signature CB dance moves, and an opulent lifestyle complete with yachts and private jets.

The song is expected to be featured as a single on his upcoming album, "Carpe Diem," due out this year.

Brown tweeted the video to his fans on Friday.

Ever the controversial figure, Brown's latest legal battle involves a dispute with fellow rapper, Drake. Reports surfaced this week that Brown and Drake have sued one another over an altercation that took place in New York City last June. He is also rumored to be back together with former girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown's 2012 album, "Fortune," was up for a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album, but was beat out by Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange."

NEW YORK — It took a little while before Barry Manilow felt comfortable on Broadway.

The Man Who Makes the Whole World Sing is used to far bigger venues than the 1,710-seat St. James Theatre, one of the smaller theaters on the Great White Way.

"It's a totally different feeling from the stage. I'm in their laps; they're in my lap. It's very, very intimate," says Manilow. "This is like going to somebody's house."

Manilow – and his fans dubbed Fanilows – are clearly enjoying his first return to Broadway in nearly 25 years. Though his opening was postponed due to bronchitis, the singer sounded and looked great during a recent quick interview.

The New York City-born icon has had a street corner – at Seventh Ave. and 44th Street – temporarily renamed "Barry Manilow Way" and a caricature unveiled at Sardi's restaurant.

It's a long way from where he began in the neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brookyn, where "I was lucky to get home from school without getting beaten up." He later moved to a Manhattan studio apartment so small that he had to sleep under his Steinway grand piano.

His two-hour show – makeup dates have been added to "Manilow on Broadway" that now take the show into early March – includes all the hits, including "Could It Be Magic," "Mandy," "Copacabana" and "Can't Smile Without You."

Manilow has sold over 80 million albums worldwide and this Christmas had a 50th hit – "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" – on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. "That was a nice Christmas present," he says, sipping white wine.

Manilow says he keeps his show fresh by making sure the arrangements are contemporary. "Every few years, I go back into all the songs and I update them so that it never sounds like an oldies show. If you come to the shows, they're full of muscle," he says. "`Copacabana' sounds like it could have been released yesterday."

After Broadway, Manilow says he'll continue doing weekend gigs on the road, working on two albums and is most excited at the idea of getting a new musical off the ground: "Harmony," which follows a group of singers through Weimar-era and then Nazi Germany.

Manilow has written original songs for it and Bruce Sussman has contributed the story and lyrics. "It's the best work I've ever done ever in my life," Manilow says.

At 69, Manilow vows to keep on going.

"Yeah, I'm old as the hills and you would think I'd be out to pasture someplace because I've done everything, but nothing has changed," he says. "I'm still hungry. I've still got a million ideas. I'm still strong and ready to create."

___

Online:

http://www.ManilowOnBroadway.com

___

Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Hugh Grant has become a father for the second time.

The actor, 52, took to Twitter today to announce the birth of his son, saying:

In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother.Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum.

— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) February 16, 2013

Although Grant has never confirmed their relationship, the "Love Actually" star is reportedly dating Tinglan Hong, who's the mother of his newborn baby boy and his daughter Tabitha, born in Sept. 2011. Hong is 19 years his junior.

Grant was unsure whether or not he was fond of fatherhood after he welcomed his little girl, but in an interview on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in April, the actor backtracked, admitting he adores being a dad.

“Everyone was right all these years, saying, ‘Hugh, why don’t you have some children? It changes your life,’" he told Ellen DeGeneres. “Now that I have [a child], it is life changing,” he added. “I recommend it. Get some!”

Congrats go out to Hugh and Tinglan!

It was a good day for "Die Hard" as the action film opened to an early lead on Friday. Starring Bruce WIllis and Jai Courtney, "A Good Day to Die Hard" made $7.2 million across 3,553 theaters on Friday. The fifth installment in the "Die Hard" franchise has made $15.5 million since its Feb. 14 release. While it has been largely panned by critics, "A Good Day to Die Hard" received a CinemaScore of B+ from moviegoers.

The latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation "Safe Haven" took a close second. Starring Julianna Hough and Josh Duhamel, the romance made $7.2 million at 3,223 theaters on Friday. "Safe Haven" has grossed $15.98 million since its Valentine's Day release. The film is an adaptation of Sparks' 2012 novel of the same name.

Comedy "Identity Thief" continued its successful box office run, nabbing the number three spot. The Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy movie made $6.5 million across 3,165 theaters on Friday. It has reached a total of $53.8 million since its Feb. 8 release.

Also opening this week was animated flick "Escape from Planet Earth." The children's movie opened Friday to $3.7 million across 3,288 theaters. The film features the voices of Brendan Fraser, Sofia Vergara, Ricky Gervais, Jessica Alba, and Sarah Jessica Parker, among others.

Rounding out the top five for Friday was zombie movie "Warm Bodies." The romantic comedy started the weekend grossing $2.6 million at 2,897 theaters. Starring Nicholas Hoult, "Warm Bodies" has reached a total domestic gross of $43.8 million since it was released on Feb. 1.

So much for a relaxing honeymoon!

While enjoying their nautical honeymoon on Sunday's episode of "Revenge," Amanda (Margarita Levieva) and Jack (Nick Wechsler) will encounter a surprising guest: A guy with a gun who's just about ready to shoot.

"He's gonna kill us. Unless we kill him first," Amanda says.

Check out the clip below:

Titled "Sacrifice," danger at sea was hinted in last week's episode when Nolan (Gabriel Mann) and Emily (Emily VanCamp) were unable to get in touch with Jack or Amanda.

"Both of their phones are off the grid," Nolan said.

Find out what happens on this week's episode of "Revenge," airing on Sun., Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC

BERLIN — A Romanian drama that centers on a woman's effort to cover up her son's responsibility for an accident in which a boy is fatally injured won the Berlin film festival's top Golden Bear award on Saturday.

"Child's Pose," directed by Calin Peter Netzer, emerged as the winner from a field of 19 films that included a strong eastern European contingent this year – the 63rd edition of the event, the first of the year's major European film festivals. Netzer said he was "a little bit speechless" at the award.

The tale of corruption and guilt depicts the efforts of an upper-class mother, played by Luminita Gheorghiu, to bribe witnesses to give false statements and keep her son – the driver, who was speeding at the time of the accident – out of prison.

"This is about a ... pathological relationship between mother and son," he told reporters later. "The rest is really just a backdrop," Netzer told reporters, stressing that it is "a very universal story" and that "corruption is not something which is only taking place in Romania."

A runner-up Silver Bear went to "An Episode In the Life of an Iron Picker," in which a Bosnian Roma, or gypsy, couple re-enact their own struggle to get treatment after their baby died in the womb. The movie was made on a tiny budget by Danis Tanovic, whose "No Man's Land" won the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2002.

Nazif Mujic, the husband, was voted best actor by the festival jury.

"Of course, I'm not an actor – I simply played my own story. I played myself in my family. I don't know what I should say," Mujic, who says that he still has no regular job and collects scrap metal as he did at the time the drama played out, told 3sat television.

Best actress was Paulina Garcia for the title role in Chilean director Sebastian Lelio's "Gloria." Garcia plays a divorcee at the end of her 50s trying to stave off loneliness, rushing into singles' parties but struggling to overcome disappointment.

American filmmaker David Gordon Green was honored as best director for "Prince Avalanche," a movie about two road workers whiling their way through a long, monotonous summer with little more than each other for company. It's a remake of an Icelandic film, "Either Way."

The best script award went to dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for "Closed Curtain," a movie he co-directed with longtime friend Kamboziya Partovi in defiance of a ban on filmmaking.

The film, in which the two directors play the main roles, reflects Panahi's frustration at being unable to work officially – it's set inside an isolated seaside villa, much of the time with the curtains drawn.

Partovi accepted the award on behalf of Panahi, who wasn't allowed to leave Iran, telling the audience that "it's never been possible to stop a thinker and a poet."

The prize for outstanding artistic achievement went to Aziz Zhambakiyev for his camerawork in Kazakh director Emir Baigazin's "Harmony Lessons," which centers on a teenager tormented by his schoolmates.

The festival's Alfred Bauer prize for innovation went to Canadian director Denis Cote's "Vic+Flo Saw a Bear."

A seven-member jury led by filmmaker Wong Kar-wai chose the winners.

Wong said the jury gave "special mentions" to two more films that didn't win awards, acknowledging "the integrity of their vision and their conviction that cinema can make a difference."

Those were Matt Damon's Gus Van Sant-directed drama on shale gas drilling, "Promised Land," and South African director Pia Marais' "Layla Fourie."

DJ and producer Mark Kamins, who discovered Madonna before she signed a record deal, has died. He was 57.

A source close to Kamins confirmed his death to Billboard. According to reports, he suffered a "massive coronary” in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he has been teaching. Kamins had allegedly been struggling with heart problems for the past few months.

Kamins took Madonna under his wing in 1982, passing her demo on to Sire Records executive Seymour Stein, who quickly signed her. The rest, of course, is now pop music history. Kamins, who also produced her single “Everybody," was also the first in a line of high-profile Madonna romances.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Madonna says:

"I'm very sorry to hear about Marks death. I haven't seen him for years but if it weren't for him, I might not have had a singing career. He was the first DJ to play my demos before I had a record deal. He believed in me before anyone else did. I owe him a lot. May he Rest in Peace."

Kamins is survived by his son.

Good news for Mariah Carey fans. A teaser of the singer's track for "Oz: The Great and Powerful" has been released -- take a listen below.

Called "Almost Home," the song was recorded by Carey for the upcoming "Oz." The upbeat track showcases Carey's impressive range and powerful voice.

"'Almost Home' has a message that works beautifully with the film," Carey said earlier this month in a release. "It’s a feel-good record; it gives you the feeling of reaching your home and being with people that you love."

"Oz: The Great and Powerful" stars James Franco as Oz, and also features Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz. "Oz" hits theaters on March 8.

As the Season 3 finale of "Downton Abbey" draws closer, we've been looking back fondly on the heartbreaking and hilarious episodes that have made this season such a special one.

From Lady Violet's (Maggie Smith) sarcasm to Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery) exclamations, the perfectly timed lines of "Downton" are just as important as the fancy attire and elegant interiors.

So, "Downton" fans, it's time to challenge your knowledge of Season 3: Just how well do you know your "Downton" quotes? Take the quiz below to find out!

Catch the season finale of "Downton Abbey" airing on Sun., Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

Though she did not know it at the time, Pamela Anderson was an inadvertent participant in a massive stock scam that duped investors out of more than $30 million.

Federal authorities took action this week, arresting 14 people involved in the stock manipulation plan that resembled a typical "pump-and-dump" scheme, the Los Angeles Times reports.

According to Courthouse News Service, perpetrators of the "two separate, large-scale fraud schemes," which reportedly victimized more than 20,000 people worldwide, promoted worthless stock and then sold it at a much higher price

One of the companies involved in the schemes, FrogAds, hired Anderson as a spokeswoman in 2012. The actress promoted the online classifieds website in short video clips posted on Youtube.

U.S. attorney André Birotte Jr. said Anderson did not know she was participating in the fraud at the time she filmed the ad, Southern California Public Radio reports.

"These folks were very sophisticated," Birotte told the radio station. "This was not their first time at the rodeo."

Following a three-year investigation that involved wiretaps, authorities -- led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. -- indicted the 14 individuals involved on fraud charges.

The Los Angeles Business Journal writes:

The two indictments allege that the suspects used marketing campaigns, misleading press releases and payments to stock promoters to fraudulently inflate the prices and trading volumes of public company stocks, many of them trading on the over-the-counter market with share prices in pennies.

One of the scams was allegedly led by Sherman Mazur, who received a six-year jail sentence for a 1993 conviction of tax and bankruptcy fraud, the L.A. Times reports. Regis Possino, a former L.A. county prosecutor who was disbarred following a drug-related conviction, is also suspected of leading a scheme, according to the Associated Press.

Mazur and Possino, who are currently being held without bail, plead not guilty to the charges, but could each face life in prison.

No charges will be brought against Anderson, who is not accused of any wrongdoing. A spokeswoman for Anderson confirmed that she was misled by company officials.

Watch Anderson's promotion of FrogAds in the video below.

Vanessa Hudgens walks arm in arm with her Spring Breakers‘ co-star Selena Gomez while grabbing dinner at L’Avenue restaurant on Saturday (February 16) in Paris, France.

Vanessa, 24, and Selena, 20, were joined by their beanie wearing co-star Ashley Benson.

Just when we thought Beyonce couldn't do anything more to secure her title as the reigning Queen of Pop and all things excellent, she went ahead and made a documentary.

"Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream," an autobiographical, self-produced film starring, you guessed it, Beyonce, premiered on February 16th on HBO.

Of course there were elements of the ridiculous: Bey pensively holding a hairdryer on a Paris balcony, random prolonged shots of trees, pretty much no one speaking but Beyonce and the revelation that the singer has had a videographer filming her 24/7 for years. Still, we couldn't help but enjoy the glimpse into the pop star's -- and her 1-year-old daughter Blue Ivy's -- life.

Here are eight lessons we took away from Queen Bey's documentary:

1. Know when it's time to set boundaries.
At the beginning of the film, Beyonce opens up about making the tough decision to break professional ties with her father, Matthew Knowles in 2011. "I needed a break, I needed my dad," she says. "I had to let go." Although the move ultimately caused tension between her and her father, it's important to recognize when you need space from another person -- whether or not that person is a parent -- and ask for it.

2. Let other people see your vulnerabilities sometimes.
You might think, watching footage of then-pregnant Beyonce singing and dancing on stage in heels and sparkly, revealing leotard, that this woman has never had an insecure moment in her life. Not true, says Beyonce. At one point in the film, she reflects on coming to the realization that she needed to “stop pretending that I have it all together and if I’m scared, be scared." Letting those around you see your flaws and your doubts doesn't make you weak, it makes you human.

3. There's no therapy like being heard and understood by another woman.
The woman who thinks girls run the world also sees the value in close female friendship. “I love my husband, but it is nothing like a conversation with a woman that understands you. I grow so much from those conversations," she says. We tend to agree.

4. Women have a responsibility to look out for other women.
Because if we don't, who will? "It’s difficult being a woman. It’s so much pressure, and we need that support sometimes," Beyonce says. "We’re all going through our problems, but we all have the same insecurities and we all have the same abilities and we all need each other.” Somehow we doubt that we have the same abilities as Bey -- for example, we probably would not pull off a fringe crop top as well as she does -- but the sentiment remains true.

5. Women need to play an equal role in shaping our culture.
There's a reason that Beyonce sings about "Single Ladies" and being "Independent Women." It's a message she believes women need to hear. In the documentary, Bey delivers a pretty awesome pro-lady monologue. She says:

Women have to work much harder to make it in this world. It really pisses me off that women don’t get the same opportunities as men do, or money for that matter. Because lets face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define our values and to define what’s sexy and what’s feminine and that’s bullshit. At the end of the day, it’s not about equal rights, it’s about how we think. We have to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves.

6. You really can learn a lot from your parents.
Beyonce says she's learned to appreciate the business chops she picked up from her father -- including the lesson that “business and being polite doesn’t mesh." She also says that her mother "taught me everything i know by example.”

7. Pick a life partner you can be goofy around.
One of the sweetest moments of "Life Is But A Dream" is old footage of Beyonce and Jay-Z singing Coldplay's "Yellow." It's candid and adorable, and their love for each other is clear. “It’s every woman’s dream to feel this way about someone," says Bey, talking about her relationship with Mr. Carter. A cheesy collective "awwwww" was really the only possible response here.

8. Don't be afraid to express your wants and needs.
One thing that came across strongly in the film was that Beyonce does not compromise when it comes to her career. If she has an opinion on how a show should be lit or staged, she won't hesitate to speak up. “I’m like most women -- very generous, and I’ll compromise," she says in the movie. "I used to be afraid of people thinking I was difficult or too critical, and you know, I dont really care about that anymore." Be your own advocate, no matter who thinks you're "difficult."

As awards season amps up, the stars get more beautiful. And, in turn, more adventurous -- yielding mixed results. We saw examples in spades at the Grammys and the BAFTAs last week.

Whose risks paid off? Whose hair scared? Take a look below, and let us know if you agree:

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.
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Do you have a style story idea or tip? Email us at stylesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

SPECIAL FROMNext Avenue

By Donna Sapolin

Carrie Underwood and the 2013 Grammy contenders cast a light on whether to reveal or cover up. I’m all for baring things in a different way.

The cover story in Allure magazine's February issue focuses on country music star Carrie Underwood, 29. Page after page of glorious photographs feature her modeling a variety of eye-catching outfits, including a low-cut shoulder-strap dress that shows off a whole lot of chest and leg.

The mainstream press, however, latched on to one particular quote about what the singer wears under her revealing clothes: “Underneath every skirt, every dress, I’m wearing shorts,” Underwood explains. "So that everyone in the world knows, if I ever fell down, nobody would get a peek at anything.”

Her intriguing approach to fashion expresses an age-old female conundrum -- to reveal or not to reveal, and in what measure? But Underwood’s solution is particularly unusual.

Public focus on what she wears continued last Sunday when Underwood won a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for “Blown Away” and sang while standing still, clad in a gown that faithfully adhered to relatively modest Grammy dress guidelines -- unlike her fellow gal celebs whose red carpet garb flaunted a blatant disregard for the new rules. Hardly sideshows to the main event, these peek-a-boob gowns all but upstaged the ceremony and probably made for some pretty uncomfortable moments for CBS executives.

Underwood, on the other hand, used her dress as a blank canvas for a visually captivating LED display that took place on the gown itself. As the light show played out across the fabric, I couldn’t help but think about the contrast between her take-cover strategy and the bare-almost-all approach of her musical peers.

(MORE:Timeless Style, Enduring Chic)

To Reveal or to Hide?

The stars’ contradictory stances regarding revelation and cloaking got me thinking about the degree to which women still feel the need to present themselves as sex objects. Even when talent and character alone should be show-stoppers, many resort to tempting and titillating.

Though women in the Western world are still sifting through conflicting views of their bodies and sexuality as they continue to evolve their larger sense of themselves and their place in the world, most have struck a fashion balance that makes them comfortable by the time they reach midlife.

But then everything changes again.

Women and Masking at Midlife

The clarity about and confidence in that balance shifts as we age. And the motivations for hiding also change. It turns out that growing up during a time when we were free to determine the height of hemlines and amount of skin we covered could not shield us from negative views of an aging body. We’re perhaps a little less proud than we used to be because, although our culture allows us the freedom to unveil, it also tells us that vitality and desirability depend on a firm, svelte frame.

And so, most 50+ women don’t sport clothes that are likely to lead to unwanted glimpses of what lies beneath -- which means we also have no need to wear shorts under our dresses. Instead, we routinely engage in an altogether different kind of masking, the sort geared to hiding or reshaping body parts that no longer look the way they once did because we eat more than we burn, bear the marks of childbirth and are losing skin elasticity.

We become experts in camouflage -- wrapping scarves around wrinkled necks and wearing long tunics, jackets and dresses fit for cloaking thick thighs, sagging underarms and bulbous butts and bellies. And underneath, believing we must still sacrifice comfort to cut a finer figure, we stuff ourselves into choking shapers and hose. We may have come a long way since the days of corsets and girdles, but perhaps not as far as we think.

What Lies Below the Surface

I’m not immune to this means of claiming a version of my former body and hooking external validation -- on occasion I wear Spanx, tummy-tucking hose and Spandex too. But all this hiding and holding-in is not the way I want to continue. Women didn’t earn the right to be as demure or as immodest as we like, only to cover up again. No, I’d like to put a stop to that and steer my life back toward more revelation.

That means having fewer reasons to hide in the ways that boomer women do. The most authentic way to reshape our form and ensure vitality is to exercise and eat a healthier diet. These approaches refine those parts of the body that clothes wrap, reducing the incentive to tuck and hide.

(MORE:Fiftysomething Diet: The 5 Foods Women Need to Eat)

But there are three other things underneath my clothes that I not only aim to hone, but also to reveal, more and more:

1. A thick skin I intend to keep calibrating my own internal compass -- the one that provides direction and keeps me on a meaningful course, no matter what comes along to take me off it. With this kind of sureness can come the capacity to ignore criticism that flies in the face of personal wisdom and the persistence to tackle challenges that expand a sense of meaning.

2. Heart The Golden Rule -- “treat others as you would like to be treated” -- has always made a great deal of sense to me. It’s not only appealing because of my inherent moral makeup, it also has always seemed the most practical way of avoiding conflict and upping the odds of being on the receiving end of respect, fairness and kindness. With maturity, the truth of this has come into sharper focus. I regard the practice of the "rule" as a recipe for peace of mind, fewer regrets, deeper friendship and more love all around. Recognizing, acknowledging and warmly embracing the specialness of others is an extraordinary gateway to a fuller life.

3. Skin in the game When Warren Buffet used this phrase, he was referring to leaders using their own money to buy stock in the company they’re running as a sign of good faith or a show of confidence. I use it to mean investing wholeheartedly in what you believe in, with whatever you’ve got to give. I’ve always been the type to commit deeply to anything I take on, but I intend to extend my focus now to new targets. I know that to make a difference -- whether to a cause or a person -- one has to give freely of time, energy or money.

So, while I may not be revealing more of my body come spring, I won’t be hiding it either. I also won’t be staging any light shows on my dresses -- but I do hope to let more of the light inside me shine.

Read more on Next Avenue
Learning to Appreciate the Body You Have
Organize Your Lingerie Drawer for a Sexier You
The Body-Flattering, Sweet-Revenge Dress

I'm not much into reality TV shows; my own reality feels sufficiently weighty most days that I don't need to go poking my nose into other people's dramas. And while I faithfully watch HBO's "Girls," I do that somewhat out of professional obligation: I work in a newsroom of 20-somethings and I don't like to be excluded from the conversation.

Just about my only true appointment TV these days is with Tia Maria Torres, the tough-as-nails star of "Pit Bulls and Parolees," which appears on the Animal Planet (the season finale is this weekend). Why am I such a loyal viewer? Because it's a show all about forgiveness, acceptance, resiliency and moving on. That, and I'm a sucker for the underdog winning and happy endings, however predictable they may be.

The basic premise of the show is this: pit bulls and parolees both need second chances and Torres gives it to them. The 49-year-old mother of multi-tattooed adult children is the founder and owner of the Villalobos Rescue Center -- the country's largest rescue facility for pit bulls -- now located in New Orleans (the poster child for cities in need of second chances). Torres hires ex-cons to staff the place and periodically gets business advice from her husband, who is currently incarcerated somewhere in California.

Torres told the Huffington Post that she's been a dog lover since childhood. Raised by her step-mother after her father left, her stepmom's love of animals "just wore off on me," she said. She was taught that the animals came first. In raising her own kids, Christmas morning meant you deferred opening the gifts under the tree until all the animals were fed. Going by the show, her kids are right there with her.

As for pit bulls, well, Torres says they aren't for everyone. They can be loyal family pets and highly adaptable to living situations. But they can be animal aggressive too. "It's the breed. People don't do their research." Her show certainly helps to educate the public with a mix of human and canine drama.

Each week, there is another pit bull in trouble somewhere -- dumped on a freeway and left to die; tied up and abandoned in a vacant lot in the broiling heat; used by a backyard breeder as a bait dog and injured within a breath of its life. The Villalobos team hops in their white truck and dashes off across state lines (one of Torres' beefs is that her parolees often can't leave the state to accompany her) to save it. While the dog may seem fearful, drooling and snarling during the rescue attempt, once safely back at Villalobos, viewers see a parolee bonding with it and the next thing you know, the dog is rolling on its back and asking for tummy rubs.

Torres regularly comments on the resiliency of the breed she rescues. These dogs move on from the abuse they suffered and find a way to trust again. As for the parolees, they all seem to have turned a new leaf after paying their debts to society (at least the ones who get on TV). Torres likely hand-picks them since, unlike every inmate I've ever interviewed, not one ex-con on the show has ever proclaimed a wrongful conviction. These guys all man-up to what they've done in the past and just ask that they be allowed to move on from it. Fair enough, I say.

I love the idea of forgiveness and second chances. Why not? Who among us doesn't have regrets -- bad choices, bad behavior, bad baggage that we still carry? And who wouldn't be better off if life didn't allow us the occasional do-over?

But there is an element of "Pit Bulls And Parolees" that resonates even louder with me -- that old saw about today being the first day of the rest of your life. It's one of those trite-but-true sayings that feels even too corny and dated for Facebook. Yet so many of us waste time blaming the past for our present. Why aren't we all looking forward, or at least trying to? With apologies to all the therapists in the world, there isn't a whole lot any of us can do to erase what came before; all you can do is accept that it happened, forgive the bastards and move on. Instead, we choose to drag our chains through the mud. I don't get it myself.

Midlife is the perfect time of life for those of us who are deadline-driven. While the sand in our hourglasses isn't in imminent danger of running out, most of us realize that our time no longer feels unlimited. It's today or never to determine how we spend the next chapters. Personally, I try not to dwell on my "what ifs" -- except for a recent one that keeps nagging at me. I'm offering up this column as a way to make things right.

You see, a few months ago, I met a pit bull named Sally at a Los Angeles County animal shelter. She was so terrifying looking that the staff kept her in a trailer office far away from the public -- something that certainly didn't enhance her chances for adoption. A volunteer broke protocol and brought me in to meet Sally. She was about as sweet as they come, showering my daughter and me with sloppy kisses. Having just adopted a death-row shelter dog two weeks earlier, there was no more room at my inn, so we slipped Sally a few treats and left her there. I convinced myself that she was enough of a shelter favorite that one of the volunteers would get her to a breed rescue group. As we were walking away, I stole one final look at her over my shoulder and I knew I was delusional. I kept walking anyway.

Sally, I am so very sorry. You deserved better than me that day. I know I can't rescue every dog, but maybe I can convince some of my readers to rescue some of them. Do it for Sally. And for Sally's sake, don't let the Westminister Kennel Club show send you running to fancy breeders instead of hitting your local animal shelters. If there's no room at your inn, maybe sponsor one of these Villalobos dogs.