The "Keep Calm and Carry On" slogan has been seen pretty much everywhere lately. @juliaball uses it as her Twitter avatar, and bloggers like Melissa Summers are decorating their homes with that ever famous poster.
If you keep seeing it, and don't know what it is or what it's about, you're probably not alone. You're also probably not alone in being too busy to Google it yourself, so here, allow me:
The Keep Calm and Carry On slogan came about in 1939 when the British government realized that going to war with Germany was pretty inevitable, and decided to issue a series of propaganda posters. The posters were meant to relay a message from King George VI, letting his people know that everything was going to be OK and that they should just chill.
However, the Keep Calm Carry On poster was never actually officially issued, and wasn't properly discovered until over 50 years later when someone randomly found it in a stack of books purchased at an auction. Because it was never an official government poster, no one has been credited with coming up with that catchy slogan.
And because it doesn't belong to anybody, it's now on cuff links, lawn chairs and everything else you can imagine.
I've found two main websites that sell Keep Calm Carry On products - although other shops online such as Etsy carry them, as well.
The first shop is called the Keep Calm and Carry On Gallery, where you can buy loads of different artwork including the beloved KCCO message, plus other favorites such as, "Tea Revives You":
Tea Revives You is becoming quite popular, too, as people like the fabulous Maggie Mason have recommended Tea Revives You tea towesl over at Mighty Goods. (Want!)
The other shop I've found is the KeepCalmandCarryOn.com which sells a ridiculous amount of KCCO T-shirts, hoodies, lawn chairs and mugs.
1. Keep Calm and Carry On Vintage Union Jack Poster, £10
2. Keep Calm and Carry On Girls Black & Gold Foil Hooded Top, £35
3. Keep Calm and Carry On Girls Denim Blue & Pink T-Shirt, £20
4. Keep Calm and Carry On Red Deckchair, £69
5. Keep Calm and Carry On Green & Yellow Retro Flight Bag, £20
Or, if you'd rather not keep calm or carry on, you can always choose to Now Panic and Freak Out.