Tasha Does Tulsa.

You have four shopping days left.

I’m sure more than one of you is out there wondering where to find the highest concentration of local shopping that you can hit in the least amount of time. Do as the uber-popular Elote Cafe chef and owner Libby Auld does: Shop downtown.

Here is her list of stops, along with some commentary on what she was and was not able to find in her attempt to keep her stops for Christmas gifts within the IDL.

Or, if you’re in a hurry, skip to the end of this post for a robust listing of shopping available in our beautiful central business district.

Dwelling Spaces
Where: 119 S. Detroit Ave.
Phone: (918) 582-1033
Web: dwellingspaces.net
Libby: The main thing I had a hard time with in trying to stay downtown to shop for Christmas this year was finding stuff for kids, but at Dwelling Spaces I found some cute hand-made art smocks by Tex Montana, each $24. Mary Beth (the store owner) gave me crayons and a pad of paper for each one I bought. She also stocks these cool Route 66 Christmas ornaments – there’s this cool Golden Driller one that’s pretty cool, too. I also picked up a cool pack of cards, this great plate that I found and several books on famous Oklahomans.
TDT: I think we all know how I feel about Dwelling Spaces. The place rules.

Tulsa Historical Society at Atlas Life
Where: 415 S. Boston Ave., ground floor
Phone: (918) 712-9484
Web: tulsahistory.org
Regular hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm
Libby: I like all the historic Tulsa stuff that’s available at this shop. The t-shirts there aren’t like the groovy ones at Dwelling Spaces, but they did have a great Atlas Life one that I picked up. I also got two jars of Oklahoma organic jam and some Christmas and thank-you cards (some featured reproductions of original drawings of some of Tulsa’s most famous buildings).
TDT: Plus, it gives you another excuse to hang out at the Atlas Life Building.

Black Gold Outfitters at ONEOK Field
Where: 201 N. Elgin Ave.
Phone: (918) 744-5998 (press 3)
Web: tulsadrillers.com
Regular (off-season) hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm
Libby: Picked up some baseball cards for my son here. They were running pretty low on stuff – they were out of the kids’-sized jerseys and some other things I wanted – but I was still pleased to see this place open for the winter.

Elote Cafe & Catering
Where: 514 S. Boston Ave.
Phone: (918) 582-1403
Web: elotetulsa.com
Libby: Of course I picked up some luchador calendars for every member of my family – they’re $15.
TDT: The luchador t-shirts at Elote are pretty great, too. I’m just sayin’.

Gadget Company
Where: 104 E. 15th Street (15th and Boston)
Phone: (918) 749-9963
Web: thegadgetcompany.com
Libby: Here’s where I picked up my very favorite thing I found on my downtown shopping trip: An alarm clock that rolls away from the bed when the alarm comes on. You have to chase it down to press snooze – it’ll be perfect for a member of my family who absolutely has to be on time for work. I also picked up a digital tire gauge that talks. I found a pickle grabber, too – it reaches into a pickle jar and a wire claw grabs the pickle so you can pull it out. It’ll be perfect for my daughter – she loves pickles. I picked up a couple of books, too – some of them looked pretty interesting.

Swing and a Miss

Brother’s Hat Shop
Where: 108 N. Greenwood Ave.
Phone: (918) 850-5949
Web: brothershatshop.com
Libby: This shop wasn’t open on the day I went shopping (a Monday, one of the two days the shop isn’t open), but this place is definitely on my list of gift stops.
TDT: A little about Brothers: This family-owned retail hat and accessories shop is a new member of the Greenwood strip, offering shoppers fitted hats from size 6 7/8 to 8 and custom dress shirts at affordable prices. Chill.

Soul Mates
Where: 116 N. Greenwood Ave.
TDT: This shoe boutique opened at the beginning of this year, and after they helped me with a couple of pairs of seriously, calamitously high heels for Wine, Women & Shoes 2010, I’ve been in love ever since. And so has my husband. So to speak. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Say no more. Plus, the shoes were just $20 per – a steal considering I’ve worn these shoes constantly since this summer and they’re still fabulous.
Libby: Soul Mates was closed the day I was shopping. Monday’s not the best day to try to shop downtown, apparently.

Glacier Confection
Where: 15 E. Brady Street
Phone: (918) 938-6368
Web: glacierconfection.com
Libby: I wanted to stop here for some candy for my kids’ stockings, but they were closed and their hours are very limited. Call ahead to make sure they’re open before you stop by.
TDT: You’re not going to get prettier chocolate in Tulsa, and the variety of flavors available is pretty spectacular, too. The trick is catching these folks when they’re open.

Downtown Shopping: A Wishlist

Her downtown shopping concluded and having hit five of her intended eight stops, Libby found that, in addition to more unlocked doors, she still needed a big-box store for gifts like the Legos and the Easy Bake Oven on her kids’ Christmas wish lists.

“There’s not really a kids’ toy store downtown, but we need one – and local toy stores like Kiddlestix don’t offer Legos or Easy Bake Ovens – my kids had very specific requests,” she laughed.

“If we had a big toy store downtown, parents who work downtown could go shopping on their lunch break. Plus, toy stores are just awesome.”

Other Ideas for Shopping in Downtown Tulsa

• Cigars at The Humidor, 6th and Main
• Classes and gifts from Tulsa Glassblowing Studio
• Tulsa- and Oklahoma-centric t-shirts at Boomtown Tees
• Wine from Girouard Vines
• Jewelry from Spexton
• Coffee from Joe Bots, Topeca or Doubleshot
• Biking gear from Lee’s Bicycles
• A musical instrument from Tulsa Violin Shop
• Running gear from Fleet Feet
• Spa services at Chrysalis
• Gift certificates to the giftee’s favorite downtown restaurant
• Tulsa and Oklahoma-centric stuff from Lyon’s Indian Store and Tulsa Treasures, 11th and Elgin
• Tickets from Cain’s Ballroom, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Brady Theater or BOK Center

Where do you like to shop downtown?