A Southern Life

Author: Christi Wharton

  • Wreaths and Garlands and Doors . . . Oh My!

    I took a walk down State Street here in New Orleans. It is a lovely tree lined street with beautiful homes and gardens. I want to share the doors with their festive wreaths and garlands and bows.

  • Music in the Air

    In New Orleans, there is never a shortage of great music to enjoy and that is especially the case at Christmas time. There are many places to enjoy free concerts by great musicians and some you can join in creating the music yourself. One of the more unusual opportunities to join in is presented by…

  • Christmas in New Orleans

    New Orleans is a great place to visit and live anytime but I think it is just especially magical at Christmas time. There is so much to enjoy! In addition to the beautiful Christmas decorations, there are the Reveillon dinners, the caroling at Jackson Square and in Palmer Park and . . . well, obviously,…

  • New Orleans Christmas Mantel

    Glad you could come and join us here in New Orleans where we are gearing up for tons of fun in the city and plenty here at home as well. Lots of posts coming up to tell you about the caroling, the dinners, the decorating, and  . . . well, let’s just say it is…

  • Riding the New Orleans Streetcar

    One of the most iconic and enduring symbols of New Orleans is the streetcar. It is a great way for visitors to get around and see the city and it also a great way for locals to get to locations along the line and avoid having to find parking! We are 3 blocks away from…

  • Porch Sittin’ in New Orleans

    November has brought some lovely cool weather to New Orleans. Chilly mornings warm up to glorious afternoons that fade into spectacular evenings. As the days are shorter, we have a more limited time in the evening to enjoy sitting on the porch to catch those last rays of sunlight. This particular evening, we enjoyed the…

  • Relaxing at The Fly

    New Orleans has and abundance of flora and fauna and beautiful parks. Audubon Park is a beautiful park and tucked away way at the back on the river side of the park is an area know as “The Fly.” It has a fabulous river view and wide grassy areas. While it is not as well…

  • New Orleans Friends

    Since moving to New Orleans, I have so enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends. It is especially fun when I meet someone who I have much in common with, and who wants to share the New Orleans experience with the world, just as I do. Cindy Bush is a New Orleans native who…

  • Resurrection Fern

    Many are familiar with the beautiful Spanish Moss that drapes majestic live oaks in the South as it does these lovely trees in Audubon Park, here in New Orleans.   Another thing that loves the stately live oaks is the Resurrection Fern. This fern gets its name because it goes from this in dry weather:…

  • Halloween in New Orleans | Part II

    Okay, I showed you a lot of the houses with their fun Halloween decorations yesterday. Today, I want to show you a really fun house on the corner of St. Charles Avenue and State Street. It is the Boneyard. There is an article in on the Tulane News site that tells about the family that…

  • Halloween in New Orleans | Part 1

    Halloween in New Orleans is a BIG deal to put it mildly. In terms of celebration, it is second only to Mardi Gras. Lots of decorations, parties and fun.

  • Hurricane Reflections

    Watching all the devastation that is happening on the East coast this week has had me reflecting on my first hurricane experience here in New Orleans this year. Back in late August and early in to September, we endured Hurricane Isaac. While we did not experience such devastation in our neighborhood, many in surrounding parishes…

  • A New Southern Beginning – New Orleans Style!

    Things are looking different around here. With a new city and coming back after a long hiatus from writing at A Southern Life, it was time for some changes. I’m so excited to show you what is going on in my Southern Life that is now being lived in New Orleans. So, really, what’s not…

  • Chargrilled Oysters!

    Oysters – an interesting little mollusk. People eat them raw, fried and yes, chargrilled (or charbroiled). I have often wondered, who was the first person to open an oyster and think, “Hmmmm, wonder what this tastes like?” Traditionally, oysters are said to be best during months that end with an “R.” With refrigeration, oysters are…

  • Fall Dinner Party in New Orleans

    Since moving to New Orleans, I have really enjoyed making new friends and renewing acquaintances. I also enjoy having a roomy dining room that makes entertaining so much easier. Recently, we had some friends over for a casual, early fall dinner. I was busy getting things ready and didn’t get enough pictures of the table.…