two things of which i am in awe

1. envelope templates. i first came into contact with these plastic-y wonders on october second, when my dear pal chalice came to my house and brought her magical envelope template set into my bedroom, where we sat on my small carpeted floor and used beautiful papers to make our very own envelopes in an assortment of official envelopian dimensions (4-bar, A2, A6, A7 and 5 3/4" square). we did this for hours, and we may or may not have choked out various renditions of a certain whitney houstin yuletide classic as our pile of cheery mail-carriers grew higher and higher and the sweet scent of rubber cement wove its way into every inner nook and cranny of our heavy, empty heads. it was a magnificent experience.

and then i got my very own set for christmas! i will never tire of making envelopes, and i'd like to send you one. so if you'd like a letter in the mail, please give me your address.

2. puzzlemaster will shortz. he is the crossword puzzle editor for the new york times, and he is more or less my hero. it's true. he's the only person in the whole world to hold a degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles! that's no joke. i love his friendly face. you can hear his smile when he presents the puzzles on national public radio on sunday mornings. the tone of mr. shortz's voice when the words "for example" roll up from his clever throat each week will forever hold a sense of total comfort for me, as well as make me sit up a bit straighter in my seat. he is featured in the documentary wordplay, which i highly recommend. it's exciting! it's hilarious! it showcases the quirky brilliance of humanity at its finest! you can purchase it previously-viewed at blockbuster for $1.99!