Bonjour, Coco!

Allow me to introduce the official mascot here at Makewise Designs, Coco the shih tzu! I may have delayed her introduction a bit until I could get a decent photo after her most recent trip to the groomer (note the jaunty neckerchief)…..the first impression is everything, after all!

The origin of her name is a bit of a lengthy tale, but suffice it to say that I wanted a black and white shih tzu like my parents’ dog, Kime (a legend in her own right). So I thought that the name “Coco,” in honor of the great designer Coco Chanel (sidebar: her real name was Gabrielle, just like my fabulous sister), would be perfect for a feisty, independent little black and white puppy. Well, when my parents found this little brown and white spitfire instead, there was no way I was letting her go and the name still stuck. More appropriately, perhaps, her nickname has become “Coco Bean,” because she reminds us more of chocolate than of any French haute couture. And in retrospect, it is admittedly a bit absurd to name any shih tzu after the founder of a fashion house.

Not even two years old, this little devil has had quite an exciting life thus far, the most recent adventure involving surgery for bladder stone removal at only 20 months old (just ask Gramma about that trip to the emergency vet on Christmas Eve….)! And as you can imagine, she is always the center of attention at chez Chalson, even if that means pawing at my knitting to get me to play with her. You’ll be seeing a lot more of her around these parts, but for now, I’ll leave you with a second photo that’s much more representative of Coco’s day to day attitude: the “it’s not my fault” look….

Happy Saturday!