Friday, August 27, 2010

Keeping Calm

Well, this post is a bit overdue but I blame that on being busier than usual what with birthdays, doctors appointments, leaving town and other things.  Plus all of my free time lately (since Tuesday, actually) has been eaten up by a certain book.  But that's another story.

But when I'm not stressing over how that book will end, I think about more lighthearted things.  Like art that I like. And I like art.  I like looking at art that makes me happy or interested, for no exact reason other than I like it.  And art can do so many different things for a room, besides just filling a space.
  
 
 You may have seen this "Keep Calm and Carry On" print in magazines or different places, it's pretty popular.  I like prints of letters and phrases that aren't too cheesy or lovey-dovey.  And do it in a bright color with fun lettering and I'm a sucker for it. This poster would be so great in a lot of different places - a kid's room, a kitchen, a laundry room.  Any space where a cheerful reminder that sometimes you just need to chill out and live life is needed.

But my favorite part about the print?  The story behind it.  This poster was originally designed and printed in 1939, by the British Government at the beginning of World War II.  It was intended to boost British morale about the war and in case of an invasion.  However, it was rarely used and only a few prints were ever made.  Fast forward to the year 2000, and the poster is found in a bookstore in Britain, which begins reprinting the poster for its costumers.  And now, especially in the last couple of years, reproductions of the print have been popping up everywhere.  And it's understandable why - the sentiment rings as true for modern society today as it did back in 1939.  You can read more about the history of the print on Wikipedia. (A plus for reading this post? You can check off your mini-history lesson for the day.)

 Like I said, you can find reproductions of this print in a lot of places.  One of those places is Etsy.  Lots of sellers sell this print very inexpensively, and all you have to do is pop it in a frame.  Along with the classic "Keep Calm" poster, you can find different colors and even slightly altered versions of the print.  One of my favorite shops that sells the prints is the Keep Calm Shop.  They have lots of different versions of the print in lots of different colors.  The print I'm going to get?


This one:
I think my surf-loving husband would approve.  

3 comments:

Carly said...

That's cool Kelli! I think Casey would really like that surf version. I've never seen that print and now I know something I didn't know before.

Lindsay said...

Ooh, I love that! Very cool. I don't think I've seen it before either. The history behind it definitely makes it cooler. I'd love to have the original one--it's a message I certainly need. I also like "Keep Calm and Read On". Some day, I'd like to have a reading corner/nook/area in my house, and that sign would be perfect there. And yes, I really like that it's not cheesy.

Cindy said...

Ooo, I like it! I want it! I, too, am a sucker for bright colors and fun lettering.