Oops and Daisies

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Oops, Daisies, and Plot Twists: My Life as a Writer

October 2, 2025 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

Oops, Daisies, and Plot Twists

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest childhood memories is of me, sitting at a desk in my third-grade classroom, flipping through a hardcover encyclopedia for the letter ‘S,’ because I wanted to research the sun for a short story I was working on. I’d even asked my teacher, Mrs. Engle, to let me stay inside during recess so I could work.  Despite the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Path to Publication, Writing tips, Writing, Books, & Resources Tagged With: books, creative writing, goals, I wish, mindset, more than mom, publishing, self-doubt, writing, writing advice, writing journey

My Path to Becoming a Published Author

December 23, 2024 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

Illustration from Etta Betta and the Beast

When I was eight years old, I told everyone I met what I wanted to be when I grew up: an author. Thirty-three years later, that dream finally came true.  It wasn’t the path I expected - but, really, when is the path ever what we expect?  *** Oops & Daisies contains affiliate links & participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program & other affiliate programs. If you buy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Path to Publication, Writing, Books, & Resources Tagged With: author, children's book, goals, inspiration, kid lit, path to publication, publishing, writing

How to Create a Vision Board: The Power of Visualization:

February 4, 2020 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

Vision board

I cracked open another moving box. As with the other ones, it was jam packed with office odds and ends. I took out a few folders and found a place for them within my desk. A couple books went up on a shelf. And then a poster board. Although it was clearly worn and creased, I opened it up carefully. My vision board. A Vision Board: Visualizing What You Want in Your Life  I had made … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family & Lifestyle, More than Mama, Self Care, Self Care & Beauty, Work From Home Tagged With: dream big, goal setting, goals, inspiration, mindfulness, personal development, self care, vision board, vision board ideas

Why I Choose a Word of the Year Over New Year’s Resolutions

January 10, 2019 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

I don’t do New Year's resolutions, or at least I haven’t in a few years. But chances are you’ve already seen people on social media sharing what their “word of the year” is and why they’ve chosen that word. To me, WOTY is like a resolution, but oh so much better. Everyone has their reasons for this, but for me in particular a “word of the year” is a touchstone of sorts. It’s looking at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Development, Self Care, Self Care & Beauty Tagged With: book recommendations, focus, goals, growth, mantra, resolutions, word of the year, writing

What 2017 Taught Me About Life

January 1, 2018 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

This was going to be a recap of my year in 2017. A recap of the year shouldn’t be that hard, right? Except it’s been a bit hard to write. In fact, I’ve been trying to write this post almost all of December. The problem: I kept trying to focus on all the things I accomplished this year, both professionally and personally… and it just didn’t feel right. The reason I finally realized? I can’t just … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family & Lifestyle, Parenting, Personal Development Tagged With: 2017, creativity, family, goals, inspiration, life lessons, mindset, passions, personal development, punta cana

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Recent Posts

  • Oops, Daisies, and Dreams: Interview with Author J.P. Lee February 19, 2026
  • Stop the Mean Girl Voice in Our Heads: How to Do Affirmations February 11, 2026
  • Oops, Daisies, and Dreams: Kathy Osgood of Little Bear Photography February 4, 2026
  • My 10 Favorite Books From the 59 I Read in 2025 January 1, 2026
  • Oops, Daisies, and Dreams: Interview with Author J.M. Guilfoyle December 3, 2025

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oopsanddaisies

Let’s get that story out of your head and onto the page | Editor, Creative Writer, Author, & Coach

What can I say except… I have BIG news! 🎉💖 What can I say except… I have BIG news! 🎉💖#WritingLife #DreamComeTrue
No day is ever the same for @erinkuhnkrueger, and No day is ever the same for @erinkuhnkrueger, and the same can be said of her “creative time.” But rather than lament it, she’s embraced it, because she enjoys the process… whether she’s writing in dribs and drabs between calls and time with her kids, or in the sweet quiet of the night when everyone else is asleep.“When I’m writing, I’m a different person,” Erin told me on my latest #CreativityChat.Writing has always been important to Erin, but it wasn’t until after launching her blog and her work in writing took off that she fully owned herself as a writer.Erin and I chatted about why it can be hard to claim your creativity and writing… after all, our stories are important. Our stories are valuable. They help us connect and relate to other people, but owning that fact can be hard.That said, Erin doesn’t shy away from honesty and vulnerability in her writing. And I’d dare to say that her mantra when it comes to writing boils down to something she told me about herself and why she writes, “If I can help one person, I’m doing good.”Thanks, Erin, for holding space for your creativity and taking the time to think deeply about what works for you and what doesn’t.*** My chat with Erin was #CreativityChat number three, and I’m on a mission to have 100 Creativity Chats this year. I truly believe we all have stories to share, and I love discovering the different ways people fit creativity into their busy days — whether it’s at work or as a hobby (because no matter how we fit it into our lives, it all matters). I want to talk to people from all walks of life about what creativity means to them.Want to share more about how you fit creativity into your life? Let’s chat!#CreativeLife
“Why’d you get picture books? They’re for yo “Why’d you get picture books? They’re for your class right?” - my 9 year old after our visit to the library 🤣Yup, my kids are done with picture books… but I’m not!! Buster (aka Pizza Blackhole Machine, my son’s chosen online nickname) only wanted Plants versus Zombies books 🤷‍♀️#KidLit #LibraryHaul
I’ll never get tired of writing “the end” wi I’ll never get tired of writing “the end” with every draft I finish. Draft number two of my New Adult contemporary done! Now to get these pages into the hands of some writing partners… because this is just one another step toward getting this book into the world.#AmEditing #WritingLife
National Book Day seems like a good day to remind National Book Day seems like a good day to remind you that I wrote a picture book! Etta Betta and the Beast is about a girl who thinks her parents brought home a beast for a pet. He sits on her puzzles, slobbers, and his farts? They’re the absolute WORST. But the Beast is determined to prove he’s not so stinky - and rather silly - in this tale about the eventual friendship between a girl and her bulldog.#BookDay #KidLit #MomLife
My 6-week in-person picture book workshop launched My 6-week in-person picture book workshop launched last night! My students are all starting with a seed of an idea and building it from the ground up. For most, it’s the first time they’ll ever workshop their writing, and I know how intimidating it can be, so we’re spending the first half of the class pre-writing and getting to know our stories (and each other) before we start providing feedback in week 4.I can’t wait to dive in with this fabulous group of writers and see what stories emerge!#WritingWorkshop #PictureBook #AmWriting #MomLife
Let’s talk about waiting. (This is for the peopl Let’s talk about waiting. (This is for the people who hit refresh on their email inbox countless times a day).So much of life is waiting. As Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Waiting for the fish to bite or the wind to fly a kite… or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.”And when it comes to the publishing industry, whether you’re looking to publish in a literary magazine or with a book publisher, you hit send… and wait.And wait.And wait.And wait. x100There is no promise of a yes. No promise of even a ‘no’ to be honest. (Sometimes, it’s just silence).Waiting is something to get used to. So what can we do? Keep writing. Keep creating. Recognize that waiting is just a part of this game called life.And then, one day, you open up your email, and you’re hit with a… “Congratulations! Is this story still available for publishing?” And it makes the waiting all worth it.So, if you’re in the trenches, I see you. If you’re putting yourself out there and feel like you’re shouting into the void, I see you.But I encourage you to keep writing and keep hitting send… because you never know when you’ll get that yes.#DontGiveUp #WritingLife #AmWriting
I feel like every time I start a new journal, I’ I feel like every time I start a new journal, I’m starting a new chapter in the “book of Liz.” And it feels really appropriate starting this journal on 3/3, a time of a lunar eclipse, signaling new beginnings. #Journal #NewChapters #MomLife
February weather was all over the place — one da February weather was all over the place — one day, my kids are having a water-balloon war with their friends in the yard, the next, I’m insisting they bundle up in their winter gear. It kind of felt that way with my work, too, a combination of super busy weeks brimming with client work, and slower weeks, which I’m OK with, because it gives me some flexibility to work on my creative writing and some other projects I have in the works.So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been up to work-wise, including my creative projects, which, I promise you, will see the light of day:🌸 Wrapped up teaching a six-week in-person journaling/creative writing workshop (and making plans to do it all over again!)🌸 Ghostwriting projects for my clients, including writing about community-health centers and access to mental health care.🌸 Started submitting my poetry to literary magazines and kept pitching some essays to a wide variety of publications🌸 Held my Creative Writing Accountability Club every Thursday morning (it’s free! If you want in, let me know)🌸 Shared four new posts on my Substack, Where Daisies Grow - on everything from journaling methods to creative cross-pollination🌸 Posted three blogs to Oops and Daisies, including two interviews with some incredibly creative moms🌸 Nearly finished my next draft of my New Adult contemporary and started to get feedback from some trusted writing/critique partners🌸 Learned how to use Adobe Illustrator (and I can’t wait to tell you why… but you’ll have to wait to find out!)🌸 Released a new short story in the latest Writing Journey anthology, Awakening… and seriously. The things I have in the works? They’re still growing “underground,” if you will. But I promise you this: I have some things I CAN’T wait to share!#MyCreativeLife #AmEditing #MomLife
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