We’ve certainly seen the Keep Calm and Carry On phenomenon in action at Fabiola & Sing Sing, with lots of interest in our Keep Calm and Carry On tea towels, Keep Calm and Carry On mugs and even our Keep Calm and Carry On Shopping shopper bags by Catherine Colebrook.

You really know when something is taking off, of course, when people begin to spoof it – creating their own posters and variations on the Keep Calm and Carry On motto.

As you can see above, we’ve even seen the police make a humourous spin on the design in a newspaper advert.

So, what’s the appeal of the Keep Calm and Carry On message? Well, for a rather cynical view we need to turn to Dr Lesley Prince, a lecturer in social psychology at Birmingham University:

“It is a quiet, calm, authoritative, no-bullshit voice of reason. It’s not about British stiff upper lip, really. The point is that people have been sold a lie since the 1970s. They were promised the earth and now they’re worried about everything – their jobs, their homes, their bank, their money, their pension. This is saying, look, somebody out there knows what’s going on, and it’ll be all right”

Whether you share Dr Prince’s cynical point of view or not, you can join in the fun with the Keep Calm and Carry On goodies in the Fabiola & Sing Sing online store – don’t forget we’re offering 20% off in our Mother’s Day sale!

In Britain it’s always the fourth Sunday in Lent (which will make it Sunday March 22nd this year). In the USA it will be the second Sunday in May (which will be May 10th in 2009).

Well, it seems even the professionals can get confused. For instance, this morning I stumbled across the website of iflorist.co.uk:

They sound pretty confident don’t they? But err guys.. March 20th isn’t a Sunday – it’s a Friday!

Seems to me like someone hasn’t been properly updating their website – they changed the year, but not the date! Or could this be an attempt by the florist to encourage earlier flower-buying to boost the economy and wake the world up from the credit crunch?

No wonder people find the date of Mother’s Day hard to work out. And don’t even get me started on when they’re celebrating Mother’s Day in Argentina, Norway and Greece..

PS. Don’t forget, if you’re looking for a unique and beautiful gift for your mother this Mother’s Day that we are having a 20% off sale in the Fabiola & Sing Sing online store until March 22nd. Which is a Sunday. :-)

Whether it’s a beautiful cushion or throw, exotic tableware and napkins, or artistic aprons and tea towels that you are after – we probably have the perfect Mothering Sunday gift for you to give your mum!

And what’s more, we’re offering you a 20% discount off our normal prices until Mother’s Day! And don’t forget, that if you spend more than £50, post and packing is completely free!

Happy shopping!

But no, it’s true. You really can get yourself some free diamonds in time for Valentine’s Day – perfect if you need a romantic present that’s going to make a big impact on a low budget, or just want to treat yourself!

How is it possible to get diamonds for free in time for Valentine’s Day? Well, first of all you need to get yourself to Cleveland, Ohio.

You see, a Cleveland-based jewellery store has hidden ten pieces of diamond jewellery around the city (including a diamond heart necklace, a diamond circle pendant, and a silver bracelet with a diamond clasp).

So far, diamonds have been left at a Starbucks, a Cleveland Heights school and at a Barnes and Noble bookstore.

It’s a publicity stunt of course, but if it spreads a little fun in the days running-up to Valentine’s Day, who’s to criticise it? I think it sounds like enormous fun, but then I’ve always loved a good treasure hunt.

So how about it British jewellery stores? Why don’t you do something similar and give us something fun to do now the snow is melting away?

You know the sort – he’s settled down in life and has bought himself most of things that he could possibly need, or is so deeply into gadgets that trying to buy him any kind of technology would be doomed to failure because you would surely not get him exactly what he wanted.

Well, never mind – because help is at hand. Here’s a list of seven wonderful Valentine’s gifts that any man would find it impossible to turn his nose up at.

1. The Flip Video Ultra Camcorder
I think a simple, easy to use gadget like this will bring a smile to any man’s face!

It is quite simply the smallest, cheapest and most user friendly gadget of its kind on the market – and takes surprisingly good video footage!

It has a flip-out USB stick that plugs right into your computer and runs on just two AA batteries – meaning that you never have to worry about not having packed the right cable. Furthermore, because it has no moving parts, it’s much sturdier and less likely to go wrong than a conventional camcorder.

The Flip comes in an array of gorgeous designs and colours too, but my guess is that most men will resist the temptations of the hot pink edition and go for the traditional black or Apple-like white instead.

Learn more at www.flipvideo.co.uk.

2. Guns Glory Game Box
A meaty banquet of pheasant and other wild game. A feast that arrives part-prepared and easy to cook, a perfect present for your favourite gourmand, now that the hunting season has finished!

Each box contains one Game Roulade, four Pheasant Fillets, one Boneless Pheasant with Apple, and six mixed Game Sausages.

Throw in a Made in England Apron and he will be all kitted out for making you a romantic Valentine’s meal.

Discover more about the Guns Glory Game Box at www.formanandfield.com.

3. Staunton chess set
I have it on good authority that if you are a serious chess player, nothing else will do except for a luxurious chess set with pieces in the classic Staunton design.

Carved by the world’s finest chess makers from the finest ebony and boxwood, a beautiful chess set should be double weighted and perfectly felted.

You could even let him win, once.

Visit our friends at www.regencychess.co.uk for more top chess gift ideas.

4. Wet Shave
Treat your gentleman to a traditional wet-shave and give him a luxurious experience he’s unlikely to forget in a long time.

Your man would love a close shave at your local barber or – for your true practising metrosexual – a men’s spa such as Truefitt and Hill.

They are offering a Valentine’s Day Grooming Experience for £75.00. This package includes a traditional Hot Towel Wet Shave, Haircut and Shampoo and Manicure.

And the beauty of all this is that you’ll get to appreciate it when he kisses you and doesn’t turn your cheek into a stubble-scratched battlezone!

So, what are you waiting for? Give your man a Valentine’s gift that will be a cut above the rest with help from www.truefittandhill.co.uk.

5. Swiss army knife
Give the Macgyver in your life the quintessential tool – a Swiss Army Knife.

But this isn’t the kind of basic Swiss Army Knife your man might have cherished when he was a twelve year old boy. Oh no, this is in a whole different league of coolness.

You see, the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Rescue Tool glows in the dark, has a multitude of knives and screwdrivers, as well as a window smasher, tweezers and toothpick.

All of these can be opened using a single hand, just in case your hero needs to rescue you while hanging from a precipice.

Grab one while you can at www.iwantoneofthose.com.

6. Chocolate
How about sharing a hot chocolate fondue a deux with him in a ceramic pot?

These 70% Dark Chocolate Fondue Pots come in a variety of natural flavours, and use only the very best gourmet French chocolate.

Just imagine dipping pieces of fresh fruit, biscuits, croissants or – my favourite breakfast treat – brioche into the warm melting chocolate.

You never know what dark, chocolatey passion may be ignited this Valentine’s…

Learn more if you dare in our very own online store at www.fabiolaandsingsing.com.

7. Scent
I have a friend who has a penchant for Penhaligon’s LP No.9 Eau de Toilette for Men. And my nose has to agree with him!

Romantic, whimsical and just a little bit eccentric in that English-sort-of-way, Penhaligon’s is one of the few true perfume houses in the world – they design and make their own scents.

This little decadence in a bottle could be your new love potion number 9!

If you want your man to smell delicious, visit www.penhaligons.co.uk.

As we’ve discussed before, the posters were produced on the eve of the war, but never displayed in public.

We’ve found that people don’t just love it as a poster, they enjoy seeing the reassuring words on the side of Keep Calm and Carry On tea mugs, Keep Calm and Carry On tea towels and we are even being encouraged to save our economy through Keep Calm and Carry On Shopping bags!

So, whether you’re having a comforting cup of tea, drying the dishes, or buying the week’s groceries there’s no excuse not to show your British resolve in a time of credit crunch with the message “Keep Calm and Carry On”.

It makes me want to snuggle up on these cold nights with a good book or a lovely man (you know who you are!!!).

Whether you’re in love with the book or the man, we have some great Valentine’s gift ideas that will definitely help turn up the heat!

And that’s why until February 14th we are offering an amazing 25% off perfect Valentine’s Day gift of a gorgeous cashmere wrap (which can also be used as a throw).

All of our cashmere wraps are knitted in Scotland, and accompanied by a linen bag and are beautifully wrapped and presented in a distinctive signature box.

So if you’re stumped as to what gift to buy for the one you love this Valentine’s Day, hopefully we’ve made it a lot easier for you!

Check out our cashmere special offers and our other ideas for Valentine’s Day in our online store.

1. About 3% of pet owners are likely to buy Valentine’s gifts for their pets. I haven’t found out what you’re supposed to give your pet goldfish as a Valentine’s Day present – but if you have any ideas, please let me know.

2. 15% of American women will send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day. Do they do this in an attempt to make their lazy-good-for-nothing husbands and boyfriends jealous, or to show off to their friends and work colleagues how popular they are?

3. Torvill & Dean won their famous figure-skating gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics on Valentine’s Day, 1984. Yes, it was 25 years ago since they skated their perfect 6.0 scores to Ravel’s Bolero. Bet you’re feeling old now. Personally, it’s one of my greatest regrets that I’ve never learnt how to ice-skate. I’m just too terrified of falling over, I freeze like a wombat when I take to the ice.

4. During Victorian times, it was considered bad luck to sign and send a Valentine’s Day card. I love that it says “and send” in my fascinating Valentine’s Day fact book. It’s as though it’s perfectly okay to sign a Valentine’s Day card, just so long as you don’t then actually give it to anybody.

5. Every year, the city of Verona in Italy, setting of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, receives over 1000 Valentine’s Day cards addressed to “Juliet”. The mind boggles. Who is sending these cards? Is it the Verona tourist office? I wouldn’t put it past those crafty Italians to do this as an annual publicity stunt.

6. Chicago’s post office rejected more than 25,000 cards in the late 1800s on the grounds of indecency. And you thought those near-the-knuckle cards in the corner of the shop were a sign of declining standards in modern society..

7. 64% of American men do not make plans in advance for a romantic day with their partners. Boo.. shame on them. And there I was believing that men would be more romantic than women on Valentine’s Day.

8. In the Middle Ages, young men and women would draw names out of a bowl to see who their Valentines would be. The names would then be worn on their sleeves for a week, giving us the phrase “to wear your heart on your sleeve”.

9. Over one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. This makes it the second biggest card-sending holiday of the year, after Christmas.

10. Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards. Next in the list come children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Apparently children between the age of 6-10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s Day cards with their teachers, classmates and family members.

Do you know any Valentine’s Day facts? Why not let us know..

All the obvious evidence would suggest, no. After all, the typical profile of the person who buys Mills & Boon romances, or queues up for the latest chick-flick, is definitely female.

If you had the choice you’d rather watch a movie with some interesting characters and some emotional content than a Keanu Reeves CGI blockbuster, right girls?

But then I came across this survey by Google.

They polled over 2200 adults, and while there’s some good news (43% of those who are buying Valentine’s gifts are buying more than one present for their loved one) there are also some surprises.

For instance, 55% of men indicated that they plan to buy a Valentine’s Day gift for their spouse, compared with 44% of women.

Now, I’m not a believer in giving gifts just so you can receive one in return. That’s not in the spirit of present-giving at all. But imagine how those 11% of men are going to feel when they give a Valentine’s gift and their wife or girlfriend hasn’t thought of organising something in return!

Or is it that some of these men are giving presents because they just know they’re in the doghouse for some misdemeanour and they think a hastily-grabbed bunch of chrysanthemums from the garage forecourt will fix everything?

Whatever the real reason – men, don’t let down your loved ones with a thoughtless Valentine’s Day gift this year. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford diamonds, a cashmere wrap or a romantic city getaway, just make sure that whatever you do, you do it with some thought rather than fulfilling the Valentine contract with a last minute grab at the 7-11 on the way home.

And wives and girlfriends, stop letting the fairer sex down. Men aren’t easily the most emotionally eloquent people on the planet, but if they’ve gone to an effort this year make sure you’re doing your bit to ensure that the percentage of women giving Valentine’s Day gifts is on the rise.