Chip Gaines Had No Idea That an Instagram Post About His Mug Would Change a Couple’s Lives Forever
The bad news? Adoption is also a really, really expensive thing.
North Carolina couple Kenzi and Austin Reddick were one of those couples who had been trying for a baby for a while, but unfortunately weren’t getting anywhere. They finally decided to make the move to adopt, but were crushed when the hefty price tag got in the way.
When Kenzi realized they weren’t going to be able to afford the whopping $20,000 it would cost to adopt a child, she was upset to say the least. But she was also determined to find a way. And then a light bulb went off.
In her spare time, Kenzi makes and sells mugs on an Etsy store called Swallows Grace. Her mugs are known for their elegant fonts and witty sayings, a lot of them relating to the HGTV show Fixer Upper.
For example, mugs with the sayings “Did somebody say shiplap?” and “My farmhouse don’t want none unless there’s shiplap hun” are just some of Kenzi’s best sellers. (And yes, if you didn’t know, Fixer Upper is all about the shiplap, in case that wasn’t apparent.)
Kenzi decided to post some incentive on her store page to open it up for more sales. She wrote: “100% of the proceeds will go directly to bringing our baby home! Our goal is to sell 1,000 coffee mugs to get us to the $20,000 mark.”
It wasn’t long after that when an ironic customer bought a mug from her and helped her reach her goal: Chip Gaines, the co-star of Fixer Upper!
After his purchase, he posted a photo to his Instagram page holding his new mug that read “Joanna Gaines is my spirit animal” and posted the caption, “She really is. Thanks for the rad mugs” and then tagged Kenzi’s shop.
Not too long after that, Kenzi’s sales more than skyrocketed. In fact, she posted a photo of her and her husband to her own Instagram with a literal truckload of mugs she sold. Needless to say, she met her goal!
Kenzi and Austin’s now son Lane Everett Reddick was born just one month after they were able to afford the adoption, and the family of three couldn’t be happier.
“Thank you for helping to fill the holes we have in our hearts,” Kenzi wrote on her Instagram under a photo of her, her husband, and her new bundle of joy.
No, thank you, Kenzi, for selling the cutest mugs! We hope you enjoy motherhood. Don’t you love it when the world works in mysterious ways? We love a good ending to a humble story. It’s crazy how the world works sometimes.
Check out the video below for more on the story—and don’t forget to check out Kenzi’s Etsy store if you’re in need of a fun mug!
