Local Love: Miller Park Library

Nerd Alert: I am ridiculously in love with Columbus’ library system.

From floating down the cookbook aisle dreaming of my next culinary masterpiece (ha!) to reserving the latest fiction online or by ebook, the library has been one of my regular haunts for as long as I’ve lived in Columbus.

Which is why I’m seriously bummed that our Main Library has been closed for so long. As a resident in the Grandview area, the main library was actually my closest branch to home and I became rather spoiled with the browsing selections while picking up my reserves.

I can’t wait for it’s re-opening later in June - not only is it the closest branch to both my home and my new office, but from all of the previews I’ve read (check out Columbus Monthly’s for the most recent) the renovation sounds absolutely incredible.

But, alas, without the main library’s closing, I wouldn’t have been able to find my latest local love, the Miller Park branch of the Upper Arlington library.

When the Columbus Metropolitan Library closed both the Main Library and the Northside Library (double ouch!) earlier this year, they realized they were under-serving a good portion of Columbus’ urban areas (Grandview, Short North, etc). Already having a standing partnership with the UA, Grandview and 11 other library systems, the partnership now became completely reciprocal, allowing CML users (like me!) to reserve, return and check-out books from their number-1-ranked system.

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A short walk from our home, the Miller Park branch is quaint, charming and feels like you’ve walked into your neighbor’s well-read living room. They do actually have a fireplace with couches and chairs along with shelves filled with DVD’s to browse for a weekend flick, cookbooks to dream up your next recipe, and the friendliest staff to help you check out your books. It’s seriously old school (the main library is self-serve) and a great reminder that books and movies are meant to be loved and shared.

So while I wait until the Main Library opens again on June 25th, I’m completely comfortable that Miller Park has become my home away from home these last couple months. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be a regular at both as the leaves start to turn next fall (serious nerd alert).

P.S. Did you know your gift to the library can go twice as far right now? Donate between now and June 25th and your gift will be matched up to $100,000! Join me (it's super easy!) and donate here. 

The A List: 8.28.15

A vacation and a week of catch-up and I'm back and ready to enjoy the last couple weeks of summer. Here's a round-up of what I've been loving this week.

1. Matte Lipstick: I forgot how much a full matte lip can finish a look. All summer I've been playing with neutrals and bronzers to complete my look and this week I decided to try a matte lipstick with my (fake) summer glow. I'm loving how it brightens my face and takes a casual summer look to next level.
2. Incanto Rose Frizzante: initially I was a skeptical rose convert, it's hard to trust a drink that looks like a white zinfandel (shudder). But I should know that Trader Joes would never steer me wrong. This Incanto rose is not sweet at all and has just the right amount of bubbly to finish it off. It's the perfect sip to savor these last few weeks of summer heat.
3. Ban. Do Florabunda Agenda: confession, I have tried every productivity app there is, some with modest success (evernote) but most without. There's something about putting pen to paper that cements thoughts and to-dos for me. And this agenda couldn't be more fun, it has places for lists and reminders for daily needs, and irreverent holidays (National Thrift Shop Day) to keeps things fun. I'm in love.
4. The library: the Columbus Metropolitan Library is truly a gem in the Columbus community. In the past month I've visited my local branch to pick up the latest novel (review of Everybody Rise to come), watched a DVD, and rented e-books for kindle app to take on vacation. AND, the library texts me when materials are in/due. Honestly? I don't know what I'd do without the library in my life.
5. Arrow: oh Netflix, you've struck again. The best thing about summer tv basically sucking is that Netflix is always waiting to serve up your next binge. And that binge happens to be Arrow. I'm loving how Arrow's characters are all badass, the girls seriously kick some butt, and the story moves fast enough for my short attention span. (It doesn't hurt that Stephen Amell provides some aesthetically pleasing scenes too). I'm officially hooked.