On the Los Angeles set of WB's Summerland, Lori Loughlin steps out of the makeup trailer in hair rollers, green flip-flops and her fave green "Everybody Loves an Irish Girl" T-shirt. She's also wearing a wide grin. This lucky 39-year-old actress — best known as Uncle Jesse's girl from Full House — has reason to smile. She's the creator and leading lady of Summerland, which debuted to great ratings last week. Here, Loughlin tells TV Guide Online about escaping sitcom limbo with her very own Aaron Spelling beach fantasy.

TV Guide Online: Full House ended in 1995. Do you mind that everyone still thinks of you as Jesse's girlfriend?
Lori Loughlin: [Laughs] I was his wife and we had twin boys! Full House has absolutely afforded me this moment in time. Without the success of that show, I wouldn't be here right now. I couldn't come up with the idea for Summerland and have people be interested. I'm proud of Full House and the recognition I have from that show.

TVGO: Are you still friendly with the FH cast?
Loughlin: I keep in touch with everybody. John Stamos just moved into a new house by the beach. He called me a few days ago and said, "Hey, there's a plane flying over with a banner for Summerland! Your face is on there!"

TVGO: He recently split up with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Do you guys console each other through such troubles?
Loughlin: Absolutely. We're all there for one other in times of need. I went through a divorce, too, though not as publicly as John. I'm remarried now and I have two kids, but I went through it, and so did Dave Coulier and Bob Saget.

TVGO: Unlike Coulier, you never had Alanis Morissette write an angry song about you! Remember "You Oughta Know"?
Loughlin: That was actually funny. Dave is friends with Alanis now, so it's OK. He was just older than her [when they were dating], she lived in Canada and it wasn't meant to be. But she used to be so sweet and wholesome when we met her. So when her album debuted, it was harsh! When we found out that song was about Dave, we really laughed.

TVGO: Summerland came out simultaneously with Kate Hudson's film Raising Helen — which is also about a single chick who "inherits" her dead sister's three kids. Weird, huh?
Loughlin: I can swear to you that, when I came up with the idea for this show, I was by myself on the beach in Hawaii. The first person I told it to was my husband. So unless he sold my idea to somebody, I'm not sure how Raising Helen came about. It's a very strange coincidence, though, I will say that.

TVGO: Eh, you're cuter than Kate anyway.
Loughlin: I don't think so. Kate Hudson is adorable. I wish!

TVGO: Your character, Ava, is surprised to get the kids. Why wouldn't her sister have told her of this plan in advance?
Loughlin: [Shrugs] Dramatic effect. The sisters had a conversation about it over cocktails once, but my character figured, "She'd never really be irresponsible enough to leave her kids to me." But she did!

TVGO: Ava's a fashion designer who quit her job. So how can she afford the new brood? Did her sis and brother-in-law have a big life-insurance policy or what?
Loughlin: Some critic busted us on that, but we never say either way if there was or wasn't one. This is television wish fulfillment. Who wants to get bogged down in insurance policies? Who cares? You're supposed to turn off the show feeling happier, not weighed down with our problems. We want to see fashion, makeup, hair, surf and sun!

TVGO: But why did the kids' parents have to die for them to live the California dream?
Loughlin: As a parent myself, it probably is a little sad to say, "Mom, in order for me to have this fantastic life, you have to be dead." It was just my own choice because I didn't want to play the mom. I am a mom, and I did that on Full House. I just wanted to be the cool aunt. And the bikinis cover my C-section scar, so you don't see that! [Laughs]

TVGO: The Olsen twins are suddenly everywhere. Any chance they'll guest star?
Loughlin: I realized they'd majorly arrived when I saw them on the cover of Rolling Stone. Wow! That's huge. We should be so lucky to have them on Summerland. I'd love to pair them up with Jesse McCartney and Ryan Kwanten. I think they'd be [cast as] gorgeous, phenomenal pro surfers, since our show is all about fun at the beach.

TVGO: They'd need to get Mystic Tanned first, since you're all so blond and bronzed.
Loughlin: [Chuckles] We all do Mystic Tan! The cast has to look a certain way for the show, but UV rays are too harmful and the ozone layer ain't what it used to be.

TVGO: What a relief to hear. How do WB's stars get that young, perfect look that crushes viewers' self-esteem? That hair! Those abs!
Loughlin: Again, it's wish fulfillment. I'd work out and stay in shape regardless of whether I was on TV. But if only viewers saw us in the morning! We have hair and makeup people, tanning products, lighting, wardrobe... We have a tremendous amount of help.

Summerland airs Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET on WB.