Is it reality?

I've just finished breezing through one of my magazines, Better Homes and Gardens. I do enjoy getting it in the mail because I like to get decorating ideas and I love the beautiful flower gardens. There are some things that annoy me, however. First of all, I think what is pictured in the magazine is a far cry from reality. Have you ever noticed that practically every room has a fresh bouquet of flowers in it? It sounds romantic - you stroll outside into your perennial garden with a pair of scissors in hand and you artfully arrange one bouquet after another...(No matter that you have 10 rooms to fill with fresh flowers). You carefully place the bouquet in a highly visible spot and make sure it fits with the color scheme. Here is what I think really happens: The photographer who plans on taking pictures of the newly renovated home as well as the interior decorator who is going along for the ride stop at the florist and buy large quantities of fresh flowers (the florist wishes everyday there were photo shoots taken in town). The interiour designer fusses for an hour or two until she has placed the flowers in the most advantageous spot. The house now looks perfect. Secondly, how do they get these houses so clean and organized? You know there is a closet full of JUNK just bursting at the seams somewhere in the house! The couple who own the house hired cleaners the day before the shoot and they have taken the kids to a hotel to stay the night so the house remains spotless. Then, in the early morning, it's time to get their hair and make up done and the perfect casual ensemble must be put on with elegant ease. TADAA! We now have the effortless look in place! Now all that needs to be done, is to have the children sit at the table in their newly renovated crafting room, pull out a sheet of blank paper and start creating a masterpiece. There! The perfect family in the perfect house. And for their good behaviour, Mom and Dad (if there is one), take the kids out for a treat for posing so casually for the picture ("It really doesn't look like we planned this weeks in advance, does it?!"). I suppose it wouldn't do to have an upside down house pictured in a magazine, but when I look at some of the pictures, I can't possible imagine a kid or two living in such a house (especially with all those glass vases filled with fresh flowers perched on end tables)! See, told you I have a serious cynical streak in me.