The Woes of Moving

Sage Advice from the Santa Monica Luskeys:

If you are ever faced with the stress of packing up your entire life, and are on a deadline to so, simply jet over to Maui and spend a week sipping Mai Tais and dining on fresh seafood to alleviate the woes of moving. Oh, and make sure your close friends are there to aid in any pre-transplant meltdowns. This will most definitely result in a smoother transition for all involved.

Livin' the Dream.

Oh, yes. This is exactly what it looks like. I am sorting the black Jelly Belly beans out of the Jelly Belly container with a spoon. For a director. Only in Hollywood. And, yes. I will miss this.

I and Love and You

It seems like a year has gone by since Tuesday when we decided to move to Austin. My head is spinning with coordinating this move and finishing my last week at work and actually coming to terms with what this move really means in the big picture of my life. It is a bittersweet transition that I haven't even begun the process of processing. And to risk sounding like Molly Shannon's Superstar character, Mary Katherine Gallagher, who can only describe how she feels through song lyrics and iconic movie monologues...

The Avett Brothers seem to have said it best,

"Load the car and write the note.

Grab your bag and grab your coat.

Tell the ones that need to know.

We are headed north east.

One foot in and one foot back.

But it don’t pay to live like that.

So I cut the ties and I jumped the track.

For never to return.

Ahh Brooklyn Austin, Brooklyn Austin take me in.

Are you aware the shape I’m in?

My hands they shake, my head it spins.

Ahh Brooklyn Austin, Brooklyn Austin take me in."

Meeting Baby L!

Aunt Kimberly & Uncle Brian meeting Baby L!

This weekend, the Santa Monica Luskeys met our precious niece, Baby L! We will henceforth be referring to this little love nugget as Baby L to protect her privacy. She is so sweet and snuggly, here are some pictures from our 24 hour visit with the newest Luskey:

Uncle Brian holding Baby L for the first time!

Aunt Kim and Baby L, holding hands at lunch.

Baby L, her proud parents, Dallas & the Santa Monica Luskeys

Snuggle time...

Whose pout is bigger?

Dreamy.

Saying goodbye to Baby L...

We loved meeting Baby L and getting that special time with her while she's still so tiny. It breaks our hearts knowing we are moving away from her and inevitably will miss out on her early milestones. We hope to be the Aunt & Uncle that love her from afar and spoil her rotten when we do get time together. Thank goodness we have the Southwest Companion Pass!

Shabbat Shalom

Well, we're three Shabbats into the new year (and three opportunities toward my New Year's resolution) and so far we're three for three! Tonight, we celebrated Shabbat with friends at Fromin's. Nothin' says Shabbat like close friends, diet Dr. Brown's cream soda and the egg salad/chopped liver sandwich combo. Shabbat Shalom, indeed!

We're Movin' to Austin!!

The Santa Monica Luskeys are thrilled to announce...

WE'RE MOVING TO AUSTIN!!

Yes, it's true, we will be packing our bags and leaving Santa Monica: where it all began. Below are some FAQ and our most honest answers:

Q: Why are you moving to Austin?

A: Excellent question. Brian was offered a fantastic job at a "social commerce" company in Austin. This particular job at this particular company was a perfect fit and combined with his passion for online deal-hunting, well, it was just too good to be true. So, Austin, here we come!

Q: When are you moving?

A: Funny you should ask. This entire process has been a whirlwind adventure at lightning speed! Brian's first interview was on January 4, his second interview was on January 18 (he was offered the job precisely 14 minutes after leaving the building) and his first day of work will be February 28.

Q: Where will you live?

A: Another hilarious question! Neither one of us knows Austin particularly well (translation: at all) but we do plan to travel to Austin at some point in February to scope out neighborhoods and pick a place to hang our hats. It's one of our family goals to be homeowners, so we'll try to find as short of a lease as possible to expedite that process!

Q: But, Kimberly, what will you do?

A: The truth is, I don't know. I am thrilled and scared and excited and in shock and thankful that I have the luxury of time to figure it out. My Mom always reminds me that my list of dreams is a mile long so I'll have to take the time to figure out which dream I want to attempt next. Yes, this feels like a chapter ending for me in terms of my acting career. I will most likely not be starring on a hit sitcom based in Austin, but I'm excited to see which door opens as this one appears to close. I don't know what it is that I'll do, but I know it'll be fabulous and I know I'll share my journey in figuring it out along the way.

Q: Will we still be The Santa Monica Luskeys?

A: For now, one major life change at a time is about all we can handle. We will remain the Santa Monica Luskeys and, in time, if it's appropriate, our family blog might get a new name.

2011 has already been overwhelmingly full of new and exciting changes. We're keeping our fingers crossed that our good luck doesn't run out anytime soon. We thank you for your love and support and promise to do our best to keep Austin weird.

Hook 'Em,

The Santa Monica Luskeys

"BABY L" IS HERE!

The Santa Monica Luskeys are proud to announce

the birth of our first niece!

"BABY L" LUSKEY

9:48pm on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (1/11/11)

8 lbs., 13 oz.