Exactly one year and one day ago, BookSmart Tulsa held its first "Book Pub" event.

The organizers — local writer Jeff Martin and Dwelling Spaces owner Mary Beth Babcock — thought they might draw a few dozen fans of all things literary to McNellie's Public House.

Instead, the place was packed with people curious about a community-wide book club with a decidedly contemporary attitude.

"We were pretty overwhelmed by the initial response," Martin said. "But at the same time, it was difficult to Read More

Mum's still the word on Mary Beth Babcock's special guest.

It will be someone of note, hinted the owner of Dwelling Spaces at 119 S. Detroit Ave. — someone she'll pair with an 8-foot robot and a blue whale.

"We are also waiting on some musicians to confirm to play at the shop," said Babcock, one of the merchants in the Blue Dome District who are gearing up and decking out for their first Mardi Gras parade and celebration starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Like other Blue Dome merchants, Babcock is constructing a float for the parade — he Read More

These days, thanks in part to the BOK Center and pure entrepreneurial spirit, it seems as though even the most staunch naysayers are admitting that something positive is happening downtown. But rewind this whole scene by four years and you've got an entirely different, and decidedly more uncertain situation. But this didn't stop Mary Babcock, who decided to roll the dice and pursue her dream of opening a unique destination gift shop. Looking back, it seems that gamble paid off. We interviewed Mary at her shop, Dwelling Spaces, on a grey blustery day in late November.

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The students at Tulsa Girls Art School Project had no idea they were in the presence of greatness when Joe Andoe walked through their door one afternoon last June.

What they did know was that an artist in New York City, who was originally from their neck of the woods, was interested in their work. So much so that he walked out of their studio with more than $2,400 in art that they created. He bought a painting from each girl.

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Someone bought Dani Neff's painting before she had the chance to finish it.

And that someone just happened to be a world- renowned artist.

"I was astonished, just in awe," said the 11-year-old Neff, a student at the Tulsa Girls Art School (Tulsa GAS), 2202 E. Admiral Blvd.

It was her "First Red Balloon," a painting with a purple and blue sky and, as you probably guessed, a red balloon.

The buyer was none other than New York artist Joe Andoe, a Tulsa native whose work has been bought b Read More

Dfest Photo Hunt contestants were given 11 clues and asked to use their imagination. Ten points were awarded for each photo with bonus points given for creativity.

And the winners:

1st place: Diana Tilley-Esparza

2nd place: Melissa Campbell

3rd place: Christina Stilwell-Love

To see slide shows of the winning entries, visit tulsaworld.com/dfest.

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene
Tulsa World

In his day job, Clay Bird assists Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor with downtown economic development. This weekend, however, the former city councilor and his wife, Dacia, were selling drinks to thirsty Dfest-goers.

Saturday evening, the pair wore their orange "volunteer" shirts as they pushed cups of beer and soda to a growing line of people.

"Dfest is important because it's a huge community-building event. Everybody comes out," said Dacia Bird.

It adds money to the city and state, too. Dfest organizers estimated Read More

It's officially started, in a very, very big way. The Dfest music festival kicked off Friday evening with thousands of music fans streaming into the historic Blue Dome District as the sun set golden over downtown Tulsa.

The event, which runs through Saturday night, leaped into action with a stirring set from L.A. pop band Dengue Fever, with Cambodian songbird Chhom Nimol singing both in her native language and in English.

Friday night's headliner lineup included gypsy punksters Gogol Bordello, the world-music/hip-hop amalgam of O Read More

LIFE LESSONS

Mary Beth Babcock, 37, owner of Dwelling Spaces, 119 S. Detroit Ave. and 511 S. Boston Ave., home of “I (Heart) Tulsa” T-shirts, tulsaworld.com/dwellingspaces.

I’ve had Dwelling Spaces for three years now. It was scary as could be starting it, but I’m just the kind of person that I have to listen to my heart and spirit and follow that.

When I can tell someone cares, I’m just attracted to that.

I think of my grandmother and how graceful she is. Dora Grace Bailey, she’s always taught m Read More

A metallic prosthetic leg hangs in Chris Wollard's midtown garage.

The leg's not his — not in the sense that Wollard needs it to walk.

Rather, it's another oddball treasure of his, found on the side of a Memphis street.

As Wollard, 33, told the story of the runaway leg, his garage stereo, as if it were a knowing robot, offered Elvis Presley's version of "My Way:"

I traveled each and ev'ry highway/And more, much more than this, I did it my way."

Wollard's way? Just take a gander at his garage. It's where he sports a Read More

Very special event at Dwelling Spaces August 20th from 6-8pm. Your chance to get a one of a kind hand painted t-shirt by Joe Andoe. Limited run of 100. 100 paintings of flowers by students at Tulsa Girls Art School. $100 each. 100 % of proceeds goes to TGAS. Food provided by ELOTE'S.

Join communicators, marketers and small business owners from the Tulsa community at the inaugural OkieSMart – The Art of Social Media – conference on Wednesday, July 8 at One Williams Center in the Presentation Theater.

Hear global social media expert, Peter Shankman, talk about how he’s using social media to build a community of more than 80,000 through his Help A Reporter Out service.Peter’s presentation will be followed by a regional panel of people using social media tools, like blogs, Twitter and Facebook, to share informat Read More

Writer Jeff Martin loves books, but when he hears the term book club, one word comes to mind.

"Boring,” he said.

Still, Martin had a vision of a book club that went beyond the Oprah, middle-aged woman stereotype.

He discussed with Mary Beth Babcock how to turn Tulsa into a more literary city. They came up with three words to define what a book club should be: books, banter and beer. We figure at least people would like two out of three if not all Read More

The Pinnacle Award honorees, some of the most respected women in this area, will be honored with a reception beginning at 6 p.m. March 10 at Gilcrease Museum. A special patron reception will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Presented by the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women and the Tulsa Women's Foundation, the awards honor women who are role models in their professions, take risks on behalf of others, perform voluntary community service and demonstrate a commitment to women's issues and concerns.

Proceeds from the reception will fund scholarships awarded Read More

When customers first walk into the Dwelling Spaces boutique downtown, it's easy to see that the store radiates a pride for Tulsa.

A small TV repeatedly plays historian Jack Frank’s “Tulsa Deco” video for customers to watch as they comb through racks of casual tops promoting area bands, Tulsa landmarks and sustainable campaigns, as well as the popular  “I Heart Tulsa” T-shirts.

Here, local designers sell their headbands, jewelry, handbags, buttons, bumper stickers and more, while CDs honoring Oklahoma musicians and book Read More

Mary Beth Babcock is excited about her new store. You can read it in her mannerisms and hear it in the tenor of her voice.

Babcock, 36, is the owner of Dwelling Spaces, an eccentric shop in Tulsa’s historic Blue Dome District, that offers an array of “modern furniture, fun home accessories and unique gifts,” and on Nov. 1, 2008, she plans to open the doors of her new “mini boutique” on the bottom floor of the Philcade Building.

Babcock said she opened her store in August 2006, after a long search for the perfect locati Read More