In January 2020, in a small Airbnb in Chicago, a married couple anxiously awaited their next doctor’s appointment and any good news to come their way. Keisha and Cody Harris, Graves Country natives, struggled with infertility for seven years before finally finding the help they needed, rallying the funds together, and undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments to help them conceive the child they longed to bear.
Cody and Keisha’s love story began long before the heart-wrenching journey of infertility. At the young age of ten, Keisha moved to the same school as Cody, and he was among only a few people who made her feel welcome. From that time on, they became inseparable. “We spent 20 years together traveling, fishing, canoeing, camping, and just being together,” Keisha shared. They married in 2012 and were eager to start a family. “We wanted to start a family right away but knew God’s timing is truly perfect. We tried for years until we were finally diagnosed with unexplained infertility in 2019 and had to seek the help of specialists.”
After the help of some wonderful doctors in Paducah and the entire community helping to raise funds, they began their IVF journey. “Our family and the community played a major role in making it possible to complete the treatments; the whole community came together to help us host a city-wide yard sale, all funds going towards our treatment. In fact, when we made the appointment in Chicago, we didn’t have all the funds yet…only prayer.” Keisha goes on, “We spent three very long weeks in a small Chicago AirB&B to complete the IVF process at Advance Fertility Center of Chicago. I’m not going to lie; those three weeks were miserable. We had to leave family, our home, our dogs for three weeks of shots, blood work, and procedures.”
During those stressful three weeks, it was difficult to take their minds off of the anxiety. Keisha decided to tap into her creative outlet to distract her from the emotional and challenging season. Keisha shares, “God always has a plan, and a sense of humor, because in those three weeks in a tiny Airbnb, I had a case of clay and some earring posts. I decided to create something. The goal was to make beautiful things that made me happy.” Keisha handcrafted 40 pairs of earrings during those three weeks as nothing more than a creative outlet to distract her mind. She had the idea to make a post on Facebook letting others know she had made these earrings if anyone was interested in purchasing them. To her surprise, she had more people ask for the earrings than what she had crafted! “I had over 60 orders from that first Facebook post, and I quickly realized my creations made other people happy too! Just like that, Lavender Lilly Craft Company was born.”
Alongside the start of her business, the first round of IVF treatments was successful, and their son, Lincoln, was born in September 2020. Lincoln is a healthy baby boy that blesses Cody and Keisha every day.
As for the name “Lavender Lilly,” Cody and Keisha knew from the beginning that if they were blessed with a baby girl, they would name her Lilly. When God revealed his plan for them to have a boy, Keisha knew she still wanted to use the name Lilly. Lavender is Keisha’s favorite scent and color, so “Lavender Lilly” was a perfect fit for her growing brand.
What started as a simple earring business that blossomed out of something painful has now turned into a brand of its own. Keisha shares about the growth, “We decided not to limit our creativity. We’ve expanded from clay into beadwork, signage, vinyl, woodwork – you name it. The sky is the limit for this company, and you will see many things come from us in the future!”
Keshia custom designs and handcrafts all Lavender & Lilly products from her home in Sedalia, Kentucky. You can find her products in many locally-owned boutiques, including A&A Boutique in Paducah, Rossi Oliver in Benton, Local Lex Market in Lexington, and Local Kentucky 68 in Maysville. You’ll also find her matching “Mommy and Me” pacifier clips and earring sets at Hello Baby Ultrasound Studio in Mayfield.
Keisha has been attracted to craft making since she was a little girl looking forward to trips to Micheal’s craft store and Hobby Lobby as other kids would look forward to the newest toys on the shelves. She says, “I love what I do, and I make sure my work reflects that. I have big plans for this company in the next few years that will truly have a huge impact on the community. I want people to learn to shop small for everything they need. We need to support other businesses and keep it as local as possible!”
She hopes to continue to expand her business and eventually own a store where she can help other local vendors who handcraft their items. If you’d like to support Lavender Lilly Craft Company, purchase items, or request a custom order, you can message Keisha directly through her business Facebook page, “Lavender Lilly Craft Company.”
Hoping to become more involved in supporting families walking through infertility, Keisha aims to inspire others, “If you’re reading this and struggling with infertility, just know I was you at one time. I know how difficult it is, but there is a light at the end of that fertility tunnel. Just because it seems like it’s going to be a dark tunnel forever, it’s not. When it’s time, it will be time, and things happen for a reason.”
