April 17, 2019

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28 “Firsts” in my 28th Year of Life

I'm a photographer and online educator serving the Carolinas + Beyond. Based in Spartanburg, SC. I'm known for creating a seamless client experience, natural posing that feels comfortable, and timeless photography captured on both film and digital. Whether it's photographing you and your loved ones, or helping your business implement workflows that elevate your brand. I'm so happy you are here! 

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I turn 28 today! Wahoo! Last year for my 27th birthday I did a post of 27 Things You Don’t Know About Me, so this year I’m mixing it up. Last year I encountered a lot of “firsts” or first time ever doing something. So I’ve compiled a list of 28 firsts in my 28th year of life. Also these things are not at all in order. I just wrote them out as I thought of them :)

  1. We moved to North Carolina! Jason matched to Wake Forest for his anesthesia residency so we moved in June of 2018.
  2. Bought our first home! After 7 years of renting multiple apartments and townhomes, we finally have a place to call our own. Before moving to North Carolina, we contemplated having a look at these apartments for rent in New York City as we had some friends who lived there, but we really wanted to build our lives in North Carolina. Thankfully, we made the right decision and bought our first home in the process. We can’t wait to be able to settle down properly.
  3. Visited Charleston, South Carolina. We took Boris for a New Years trip and it was so fun. The weather in January was just perfect and everything about Charleston is a southern dream, it almost made me think about looking for Charleston homes for sale but Northern Carolina is also a dream.
  4. Traveled to Hilton Head Island with my family. We rented bikes from Peddling Pelican Cruiser and had the most amazing time riding along the beach at our own leisure. I think I like east coast beaches more then west coast beaches!
  5. Shot destination weddings in The Hamptons and Rochester, NY!
  6. Traveled up to Boston with Boris! Read more about our trip HERE.
  7. Built floating shelves for our living room. See how we did it in my instagram highlights.
  8. Installed wall moldings in my office. See before and after’s in my instagram highlights!!
  9. Booked my first Charleston, SC wedding! So excited for this next year!
  10. My work was featured on the main page of Style Me Pretty! See the feature here!
  11. Taught my first business education class (all about Pinterest) to the Tuesday’s Together Group here in Winston Salem! Going to be teaching and speaking a lot more in 2019.
  12. Started photographing commercial work in addition to weddings and families.
  13. First time trying beets (thanks Aunt Taryn). Not as awful as I thought they would be.
  14. Started modeling for an agency here in North Carolina (Directions USA). I’ve already had some paid work through Hanes as a fit model.
  15. Joined a Book Club. I’ve loved keeping myself accountable and reading different genres of books every month. If you have a desire to read more, join a book club!
  16. Joined RSA (resident spouse association) and recently got nominated as the VP of Communications! Love the support this group gives all spouses of medical residents.
  17. Bought a robot vacuum. I’ve been wanting one of these FOR YEARS! I finally got one with my Christmas money and it’s been so wonderful. If you are a dog owner, this is a must!
  18. Attended the Hustle and Flow Workshop with my friends in NYC! Such a fun few days and learned so much!
  19. Booked another destination wedding in Rochester, NY as well as Dallas, TX this winter 2019.
  20. Learned how to use power tools that I’ve never use before such as a power washer, tiller, and an air compressor nailer.
  21. Photographed my first in-home family session using primarily FILM!
  22. Offered my first semi-annual mini sessions
  23. Expanded my business to include a photobooth!
  24. Vacationed in Hawaii (read more about our trip here)!
  25. Took up landscaping! I’ve laid landscaping fabric, mulch, planted plants, grown grass, and so much more! All these were “firsts” for me since we’ve always rented and have never had to take care of a yard before.
  26. Opened my first in-home office space! I’ve had a “office” in all our past homes, but it usually shared space with the guest bed, or a storage room. This last year, I designated an entire room in our home to be my office and nothing else. Feels so good to have a space to call my own.
  27. Shot my first wedding in North Carolina. When moving a business into a new state, it’s always a big accomplishment when you start booking events in your new hometown.
  28. Made friends with our neighbors. This is another funny one but it’s honestly something we’ve never really done. In all our past homes, we’ve always kept to ourselves and have never really made an effort to befriend our neighbors. This year we’ve scheduled playdates with the neighborhood dogs, baked cookies for them during the holidays, shoveled their driveways in the winter when they weren’t able to, and have just made extra efforts to have conversations and serve. What a blessing it is to create friendships with those who live a door away.

Well there it is! All my “firsts” during my 28th year of life. Happy Birthday to me! I’ll be spending my day eating confetti cake, watching movies, and hanging out with my 2 best boys.

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Hillary Muelleck is a photographer and online educator serving the Carolinas + Beyond. Based in Spartanburg, SC.

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