NEW IN 2026

On Love & Lifestyle:

Designing Spaces Beyond Romance

The emotional journey of designing and building living spaces together with the love of your life, is one of life’s most greatest fun and fulfilling accomplishments. It goes far beyond romance.
We’re currently developing a three-story apartment building with a rooftop terrace. We’re incredibly fortunate to have a team of architects as friends and some in our family whose expertise and skills are crucial to achieving our project goals.
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The fun lies in finalizing floor plans and selecting finishes. Ultimately, it’s about creating living spaces that tell your story, reflect your values, and represent your vision for the present and future.

Designing and building a project together strengthens your bond by allowing each of you to express your personal style. This collaborative creative endeavor fosters a sense of belonging and satisfaction, reflecting your unique partnership. A well-designed living space not only mirrors your personalities but also enhances your daily life, making it more enjoyable and fulfilling. While the process can be challenging, with a skilled team and clear communication of expectations, anything is possible.

Designing your living spaces can boost your confidence and give you a sense of control over your environment.

Creating relationship goals, working towards common goals, and building a shared vision that honors each person’s dreams while creating a shared purpose can be tough. But it’s a truly rewarding accomplishment for a couple, an experience for a lifetime!

From The Writer at  Viviana De la Barca.

On Love & Lifestyle: 
The Motorcycle Illustration

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On Love & Lifestyle: The Motorcycle Illustration

On Love & Lifestyle: 
Archaeology of Affinity

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On Love & Lifestyle: Archaeology of Affinity.

When archaeology reveals the enduring human mating gaps between cultural ideals and actual behaviours, and anthropology explains how ethnography bridges these gaps in the digital age, we gain a deeper understanding of how modern humans perceive affinity across diverse cultures. This profound sense of connection is then simplified into a universal human psychological essence and a timeless experience.

Do cultural differences truly matter when we share common interests? Isn’t learning more meaningful with people who are different from us? Isn’t collaboration with diverse backgrounds and perspectives more productive?

#designcognition #neuropsycology #ethnograpgy #crosscultural​

On Love & Lifestyle: 
Going Wild — In Spanish

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On Love & Lifestyle. Going Wild

Sobre el verdadero amor salvaje. El amor verdadero no es algo exclusivo de los humanos: algunos animales se toman muy en serio eso de «pareja para toda la vida». A estas parejas de animales no les influyen las estaciones ni las últimas modas. Han encontrado a su única y verdadera pareja, y permanecen juntos pase lo que pase.

Ahora bien, si eres como algunas de nosotras, a quienes nos encanta pasar tiempo rodeadas de naturaleza salvaje, quizás también hayas aprendido de ella muchas cosas sobre la lealtad y las relaciones.

Tres de estas especies las hemos encontramos esta primavera en México.

Los ocelotes suelen ser solitarios, al igual que otros miembros de la familia de los felinos. Sin embargo, son los únicos de su clan que mantienen interacciones sociales entre ambos sexos. Incluso tras alcanzar la edad adulta, suelen permanecer juntos, a veces incluso fuera de los periodos de apareamiento. Los ocelotes jóvenes también llegan a interactuar frecuentemente con sus padres.

En un estudio de una década de duración sobre caimanes en el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Rockefeller, en Estados Unidos, los científicos se sorprendieron al descubrir que muchos caimanes formaban parejas duraderas. Este hallazgo fue inesperado, dada la alta densidad de población de los caimanes y el hecho de que las hembras se topan con numerosos machos al desenvolverse libremente dentro del grupo.

Los búhos en México son símbolos culturales de misterio y sabiduría, también conocidos por sus relaciones monógamas. Una vez que estas aves nocturnas encuentran pareja, permanecen juntas, cazando y descansando en armonía. Su vínculo se fortalece a través del acicalamiento mutuo y las responsabilidades compartidas. Como padres, ambos contribuyen por igual. La devoción de los búhos del uno por el otro es un testimonio de la fuerza de la compañía, pues se cree que sus inquietantes llamadas nocturnas hablan de un amor profundo y duradero.

On Love & Lifestyle: 
Romance and Adventure 

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On Love & Lifestyle. Romance and Adventure.

When living together with your +1, you develop a routine that defines the rhythm of your household. Routines help to get things done when juggling the pressures of everyday life.

Yet, routines can also quietly strip away spontaneity. 

When routines dictate our interactions, habituation can lead to monotony, which often contributes to unhappy relationships.

Marrying someone who loves to travel can lead to a life filled with adventure, shared experiences, and personal growth together. It fosters a strong bond as you explore new places and create lasting memories, enhancing your relationship.
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Travel is without a doubt our favorite booster shot for relationship health.

Illustration inspo: Pico de Orizaba in Mexico and Orizaba’s cable car. ​

On Love & Lifestyle: 
Our ​Spring Affair 

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On Love & Lifestyle. Our Spring Affair

A fresh start, a new catch.

About last month in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lunch of that day:

AGUACHILE DE CAMARÓN. Lemon-marinated shrimp mixed with cucumber, red onion, cilantro, roasted chili sauce, and avocado.

PEJELAGARTO EN VERDE FRÍO. The green sauce is made from chipilín, chaya, amashito leaves, and infused oil. The pejelagarto is similar to the Tenosique salpicón and contains slices of malanga.

​March, 2026.

On Love & Lifestyle: 
​We ❤️ Sweet Mexico

From roasted cocoa nibs to freshly made smoothies. Here’s what makes a couple’s life journey growing strong with extraordinary culinary adventures in Mexico with family and friends.
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Image features sweet Mexican treats: champurrado, pan de elote, tamal de chocolate and chicozapote smoothie.

My Dutch husband’s love for Mexican food started when we met over twenty years ago, and we’ve been happily trapped in a world of flavours ever since. Over the years, we continue to travel around Mexico, tasting all sorts of regional cuisines and really appreciating its different regions, its history, and my people. He’s officially our salsa-making superstar!

​Making our favorite recipes from around the world at home, has created a deeper emotional connection and understanding between us. Sharing our love for diverse cuisines through open and honest communication has strengthened our relationship with time. We feel safe expressing our likes and dislikes, which strengthens our bond as a couple.

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On Love & Lifestyle. The Dutch Suitcase.

On Love & Lifestyle: 
​’La maleta holandesa’

‘Fuera los klompen y ¿viva la guayabera?’
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On styling my Dutch husband in Mexico so he doesn’t look like a tourist.

Travelling with our parents as a child teaches us valuable life skills: we learn to overcome language barriers, develop emotional intelligence, and even pick up some fun packing tricks, like knowing which items we would actually wear.

First thing out of my hubby suitcase when we go to Mexico, is something dear to him: one of my mother’s gifts to him, the classic guayabera. A garnment also my father used to treasure and wear in various colors.

Guaya-what?

The guayabo is a tree cultivated in Mexico. Many local goodies are made from its fruit, desserts and fresh lemonade. The guayabera name derives from this tree. Now, in the guayabera world the shirt has different origins. In Mexico, it comes from the ‘península mexicana’, southeast Mexico, between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Barbara Sánchez-Kane is a Mexican menswear fashion designer and the Chanel Next Prize 2026 winner. She is known for her experimental and political statements blending contemporary approaches to fashion design. She’s one designer blending guayaberas and modern fashion garments who has been interviewed on several occasions about her work by Vogue Mexico and ELLE Mexico.
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Dressing like a local can certainly help you blend in while travelling abroad.  However, realistically, if you live in Mexico City, you can’t always wear a summery guayabera, especially in the cooler temperatures of the mountains.

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On Love & Lifestyle. Memories of Our Winter Wedding: A feathered hat in the middle of a snowstorm.

On Love & Lifestyle: Memories of Our Winter Wedding: A feathered hat in the middle of a snowstorm. (In Spanish)

Recuerdos de nuestra boda invernal, en medio de una tormenta de nieve.
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Mientras que nuestra boda en Países Bajos se celebró bajo el hermoso cielo azul primaveral de mayo, luciendo un tocado de flores en el velo que me había hecho mi madre, nuestra boda civil en Canadá tuvo lugar en pleno invierno. Para esta ocasión especial, llevé un elegante sombrero blanco con plumas que contrastaba con mi vestido negro. Los vestidos de novia negros eran poco comunes en aquella época. Mi vestido de novia civil simbolizaba la sofisticación con una declaración audaz de individualidad, pero sin dejar de lado la tradición.

Unas horas después de que terminara la cena de nuestro gran día, una tormenta de nieve transformaría la alegre ocasión en un desafío logístico. Esto fue especialmente cierto ya que uno de nuestros regalos era un par de noches en las Cataratas del Niágara adonde tuvimos que desplazarnos desde Toronto en tren y bajarnos antes de lo previsto. Esto se debió a que nos vimos atrapados en una tormenta de nieve y nuestra estación de destino se encontraba en medio de ella. Tuvimos que llevar nuestro equipaje por las vías del tren cubiertas de nieve. ¡Imagínate!

El resto es historia.

El día de nuestra boda en Canadá no llovió, pero nevó. En muchas culturas, el mal tiempo se considera a menudo un buen presagio que simboliza la fortaleza del matrimonio.
El día de nuestra boda en Canadá no llovió, pero nevó. En muchas culturas, el mal tiempo se considera a menudo un buen presagio que simboliza la fortaleza del matrimonio. Se cree que las tormentas limpian los problemas del pasado y significan un nuevo comienzo para la pareja. Es así como la nieve ha llegado a ocupar un lugar especial en mi vida matrimonial.
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Los recuerdos de nuestra boda invernal están impregnados de una magia especial que ha perdurado durante más de veinte años. — Viviana De La Barca.
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The joy of marriage lies in supporting each other through life’s ups and downs, strengthening the bond between partners.

On Love & Lifestyle: Let’s Talk About Sex

Sure, let’s discuss sex, but after age 40, when many women experience perimenopause and menopause.
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But first, what a lie!!! Sex isn't miserable after 40, nor are we less interested in sex after 40 because we reach peri-menopause and menopause. How life, aging, and changes as menopause affect sexuality depend on the person. I’m not alone here. My hubby is my witness. Like men, many women remain sexually active after 40 and throughout the peri/menopausal period. Also true, what used to feel good can change, and more is not necessarily better. Quality, however, rules.
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Also true, sexual dysfunction is genderless and can affect us all. The four main categories are desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain. However, there are remedies available for all.
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Some couples find sex even more enjoyable after 40. One reason is that we’ve gained a deeper understanding of our bodies, have developed experience in knowing what we want, and are more articulate in expressing our fantasies. The loss of estrogen and testosterone can lead to various changes. Listening to your body, adjusting your eating habits, incorporating a physical routine, and consulting medical experts can all help overcome these changes.

intimacy IS more important than sex during peri-menopause and menopause.
Why is intimacy more important than sex during peri-menopause and menopause.
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This is because as we get older, emotional connection is what makes the experience worthwhile. Intimacy is about nurturing and growing real understanding with your partner. Intimacy is what both can create with patience and love while having fun, speaking openly, and aligning actions with care and responsibility to deepen your connection.

Sex during peri-menopause and menopause involves willingness to explore, work through challenges, and be patient. For some women, sex after forty can even be the best it’s ever been. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of closeness, connection, and togetherness you experience with your partner thanks to understanding your body more.

​Intimacy encompasses much more than just sexual release. This connection between you and your loved one is the most important and rewarding part of sex during this time. —Viviana M. C. De La Barca.

On Love & Lifestyle

from Viviana M. Calderón de la B.

Viviana M. Calderon de la B. is the author of the suspense-romance novella Romance In Bloom.  She’s also a writer, director, and producer of short productions on art, design, and culture that have been featured at international events.

​As a seasonal love and lifestyle content creator, Viviana enjoys sharing her perspective on sexual health, love, and relationships from a feminist female and intercultural viewpoint. She’s been married for over two decades to a loving Dutchman, and her romantic relationships and friendships since childhood in Mexico City have largely been intercultural. These experiences have enriched her life and inspired her to navigate the unique challenges of intercultural relationships, such as differing lifestyles, dress styles, communication styles, and family expectations. 

​Outside commissioning craft collaborations for her creative pursuits, Viviana enjoys researching modern love and relationships, traveling, and experiencing new theatrical productions and modern cuisine in Mexico and Europe.

*Intercultural relationships, whether romantic, professional, or friendly, are becoming increasingly common due to the rise of digital communication.

On Love & Lifestyle

ROMANCE IN BLOOM is available for purchase by contacting us here.

Romance In Bloom, a short story by
​Viviana M. C. De La Barca, is a romantic suspense…

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English editor, Brandon Chow. Art cover, CPK.
…The twists and turns in the story keep you guessing the end. The narrator’s love for Walter and his disappearance is at the centre of the story. What happens after that? Recalling the experience that she had with Walter, the narrator comes across disturbing admissions and unsettling thoughts about Walter’s life. As she wades deeper and deeper, she realises there was more to Walter’s story than he let on while he was in a relationship with the narrator. The narrator is determined to learn more about the mystery that was Walter, and she finds her way to it. The story is fraught with betrayals, secrets, and romantic intrigue. The sequences in the book will make you look forward to the end with eager anticipation.” -Chaitali Sengupta, author, and translator.