Tout Sweet

 Biff's photo by Karen Wheeler
This morning while doing a search on Amazon for books on 'moving to France' I met up with Biff. He belongs to fabulously funny Brit author, Karen Wheeler,

 Who wrote laugh-outloud, Tout Sweet:Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in France. BTW I've just added walking to my Paris-prep regime of swimming + stair-climbing, so being able to read my Kindle (with one eye on the ground for unforeseen circumstances) is a great joy. Granted my hoots of laughter are scaring off the neighborhood dogs but never mind.
Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships–and new loves–are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life's simple pleasures.

 Since Biff and his brill owner live in a small village in Poitou-Charentes (central western France) I thought it a good excuse to take them on a fantasie noire trip back to Hotel du Petit Moulin which just happens to be on rue du Poitou (home turf you might say for them...).

 I can easily see Biff bouncing down these dotty stairs. Biff may or may not be a Portugese water dog but he's still adorbs and has his own blog at toutsweet dot net not to be missed.

 I see Biff lounging in this perfectly co-ordinated bedroom.

Or leafing through the oh so tres courrant fashion journals at the hotel.

 Or better yet parking himself in the faux book nook

 For a good read (not too many words for Biff) of Pascale Estellon's lovely Mon Priemier Livre D'Activities (also matching Biff's coat noir).

 Biff's mistress, Karen, former fashion editor for the London Mail on Sunday, could relax in the perfect noire lingerie outfit with matching gloves of course...

There is the option of one of Eres new summer checked bathing suits as well.

 One MUST match one's dog don't you think? It's de rigueur non?

The added filip of a 'Chantal Thomas' fringe goes into the fantasy mix

 Plus a good healthy spritz of Guerlain's newest La Petite Robe Noire is essential.

Why not a noire carte des affaires while we're at it?

I was surprised to find these in Paris.

What do you think?

Would you or wouldn't you?

The ultimate treat for Biff and his mistress - Pierre Herme noire macarons reglasse(licorice).

Enough of les noires fantasies...

Back to Karen Wheeler's tale of Tout Sweet, making her way renovating a run-down but tres charmante cottage in Western France seriously lacking in the most basic mod-cons.

'My future, as I had often smugly reflected, seemed assured: a sexy French husband, a second home in France, and bilingual enfants dressed in Bonpoint clothing'

All this goes down the drain when said Fr man takes a walk just before the wedding. The adventures up and down will have you spinning with laughter. Karen's a terrific writer. Well she's British. Go read a few pages on Amazon and see if you're not hooked. I was down-loading in the middle of 31st Avenue (isn't the Kindle wonderful?)

Cheers and happy reading PBers.