Everyone knows how much we believe in signature cocktails for every special gathering. Since Auntie Carrie seems to have a bias for all things champagne, we had to share one more cocktail before signing off from a glorious 2010. The first time I had a Negroni Sbagliato was at the very glossy yet cozy speakeasy, [...]

[I originally wrote this post for the beyond fabulous Savvy Host Blog, a must visit for all lovers of cocktails and entertaining.] Unless you are like Auntie and I, who run our own Speak Easy, (no address given. So please don’t ask), the theme of 1920s is so done. But what’s sexy right now? An [...]

Everyone knows the basic travel tips: roll your clothes when packing, use curbside check-in, but do you know how to travel the SpeakEasy way? When I am not obsessed with cocktails and the arts, I am working in film production as a Cinematographer. I travel a lot. Especially overseas. Add these simple tips to your [...]

My father, Bob Martin (more appropriately known as Auntie Carrie’s nephew) is an excellent painter. I’ve grown up watching him paint and over the years, I have made attempts to approach my own paintings in a similar way. Long story short, it never happened. He’s trained. I am not. He is patient. I’m far from [...]

Auntie Carrie’s Speak Easy asked our dear friend, Savvy Brown, aka the Queen of being Green, Frugal and still Stylish, for tips on our next BBQ, done the green way. Here is her very informative response: I’ve had several requests as to how folks can green up their BBQ without breaking the bank. Well, here’s [...]

Without a doubt, New York has some of the greatest museums on the planet. Tourists so frequently attend the obvious ones, that they miss out on some incredible gems off the main path. Two of the strongest museums are The Studio Museum of Harlem and PS1 (once a public school turned Contemporary museum) located in [...]

Auntie Carrie’s Speak Easy is a firm believer in the signature cocktail for any event. If you watch pretty much any show on the Food Network (our personal addiction) you’ll notice that each chef makes a special drink to go with their recipe du jour. Here are two recent Signature Cocktails that we co-created with friends [...]

I always have a reason to celebrate. If you’ve read my How to Throw a Party post, you’ll notice what a fan I am of a party themes and in turn, drinks, invites, costumes, food selection to support the theme. I think it makes the event more fun. Silly? Very. But more likely to get [...]

As I’m sure you are aware, I am obsessed with the Speak Easy. Even chewing on following my own tips on How to Throw a SpeakEasy Party for my upcoming birthday (full disclosure: I’m also considering a “Soul Train” theme. Good job Kevin!) And dare I say, if I got married? Might even be the [...]

New York City continues to give me so much joy. A few weeks ago, I was visiting a friend on the Upper East Side and saw this beautiful door front for a yoga studio called