Willow & Rowan

This blog started because of two dogs.

Willow and Rowan are our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and somewhere between the stolen shoes, the puppy zoomies, and the constant dog hair, it hit me: I’m basically living inside a Cavalier sitcom. I might as well document it.

I also create a Cavalier-themed collection in my shop, so this space will be part diary, part love letter to the breed, and part behind-the-scenes of the chaos that inspires the art.

Meet Willow – The Sensitive Shoe Dragon

Willow is our ruby Cavalier (with a bit of white), born 8/4/2023. We brought him home in October 2023, and he immediately decided that:

• Humans are for cuddling
• Shoes are for collecting

He doesn’t chew them. He just takes them, one by one. You’ll walk into a room and find him lying in the middle of a small shoe graveyard, absolutely pleased with himself. Try to take one of “his” treasures and he goes from sweet love bug to offended little dragon in about two seconds.

He’s incredibly loving, a little moody, and very sensitive. Basically, he’s the emotional center of the house.

Meet Rowan – The Tiny Chaos Engine

Rowan is our tricolor Cavalier, born 7/28/2025, and we brought him home in October 2025. If Willow is feelings, Rowan is raw puppy energy.

His entire job description right now is:

• Zoom
• Pounce
• Repeat

His energy was a lot for Willow at first. Imagine being a slightly dramatic older brother and suddenly there’s this tiny, relentless creature bouncing off the furniture and begging you to play 24/7.

The good news: they play really well together now. The honest part: Willow still needs breaks from Rowan’s “what if we did chaos again?” lifestyle.

Our Little Cavalier Pack

It’s me, Paul, and Elwyn, and somehow we still feel outnumbered by two spaniels.

Long term, the plan is to have one of each Cavalier color. We’ve got Ruby and Tricolor so far, so Blenheim and Black & Tan are probably coming someday. More Cavalier love, more dog hair, more stolen footwear.

This blog will be:

• Real-life stories from living with multiple Cavaliers
• How their personalities are shaping our days (and our floors)
• Training attempts, wins, and chaos
• Little peeks behind my Cavalier-themed art and product designs

For now, that’s Willow and Rowan: one sensitive shoe dragon and one tiny chaos engine, sharing a house with three humans: Paul, Elwyn, and me; and yes, we still feel outnumbered.

P.S. Cavalier Lovers, This Part’s For You

If you’re a fellow Cavalier person, you’ll probably recognize the clinginess, the drama, and the zoomies.

I’ve started turning all that personality into a Cavalier Collection in my shop – art and products inspired by dogs like Willow and Rowan. If you’re curious, you can check it out here: Cavalier Collection.