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LA Survey Which Type of Clutterer are You?

atla-050708-kindclutter01.jpgYesterday, Laure blogged about clutterers who can't let go of stuff. Did you know that there are actually five types? Which kind are you? Survey after the jump...

Comments (23)

Oh my god. No wonder I have such a problem, I am all of the above.

posted by mjoe on 2008-05-07 13:25:49
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I'm The Martha, with a little bit of Scarlett O'Hara for good measure.

posted by insanity_pepper on 2008-05-07 13:30:06
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all of them except mary poppins.. with all the stuff i have, somehow i still have to go out and get paper clips and toothpicks every now and then. amazing. also, that picture is super scary!!

posted by ema04 on 2008-05-07 13:40:02
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The poll wouldn't let me answer: I'm Martha O'Poppins.

posted by OneWallKitchen on 2008-05-07 13:43:51
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[laughs at OneWallKitchen] And I'm your Aunt Sophie O'Poppins!

posted by ami on 2008-05-07 13:51:27
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Those categories are awesome - and I went for Aunt Sophie

posted by La Loca on 2008-05-07 14:00:22
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I answered Martha, and I'm definitely going to pitch stuff that needs to go (anyone would agree) someday, but I'm secondary a rebel, and I noticed this sentiment through the Small Cool contest. "Being forced" to pare down is an advantage? Paring down itself can be an advantage, but everyone has varying degrees of what this means to their home life and comfort, etc. Living in a small apartment can't force me to give it all away, if it makes me happy and I can find space to keep it that looks nice, so I can find it when I need it. So, all five really.

posted by K T G on 2008-05-07 14:07:02
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Also a Martha O'Poppins...but living with a Rebel Without a Cause.

posted by Michelle of Montreal on 2008-05-07 14:10:55
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Why are four out of five women?

posted by patrick (the other one) on 2008-05-07 14:19:27
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OneWallKitchen--

That made me laugh out loud.

With a spoon full of raw organic sugar, no doubt!

posted by patrick (the other one) on 2008-05-07 14:21:11
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i am a Martha O'Hara.

always put off today what you could do tomorrow !

posted by Kat1 on 2008-05-07 14:22:10
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patrick (the other one),

no reason except that they were iconic in what they represent...and the last one is in honour of my great aunt sophie, who brought enormous leather suitcases full of "collectables" to every family gathering.

abby

posted by abby on 2008-05-07 14:29:25
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Oof. I'm a Martha....and the so. is a Rebel. no wonder we butt heads on this matter.

posted by BrionyCat on 2008-05-07 14:36:57
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That makes me Great Aunt Martha O'Hara. Send help.

posted by jennifer in sf on 2008-05-07 14:48:00
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Eeeek- Martha O'Hara living with a Rebel! I need the Container store to come rescue me.

posted by MelissaLeigh on 2008-05-07 14:53:38
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Mostly Mary Poppins. A friend was once trying to describe the fanaticism with which a mutual acquaintance collected carnival glass. "Everything in her home that can be carnival glass is carnival glass. She has lamps and vases and goblets and, and..she collects carnival glass like, like, like" and here she finally found the apt comparison, "like you collect stuff to make other stuff with!" And she was right. I can get rid of extra blankets or dishes or magazines, no problem. But I'm hopeless when it comes to pastry molds, beeswax, paints, cookie cutters, fabric - what if I suddenly want to make a shadow box? Or a collage? Or bake a flock of butterfly cookies? Where would I be?

posted by pyewacket on 2008-05-07 15:07:30
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Another member in the Martha O'Poppins club. Eeek.

posted by palindrome on 2008-05-07 15:28:57
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pyewacket, that is my main "problem" area, too, but i also have a hefty dose of Martha. in fact, i plan on making the things to organize my things perfectly.

posted by mrs yow on 2008-05-07 16:25:57
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Mojoe I'm with you all of the the above - but I come by it honestly. I was recently going through some papers my grandfather had that my uncle has been storing and found close to a hundred tiny invites to college parties saved by my Father's grandfather who completed college in 1907 - not only had he been lugging them all over kingdom come (okay the northwest and midwest) but my grandfather and uncle had moved them multiple times and what did I do - nothing I put them back in the box and said to myself I wonder if I should put them in a baggy so they wont get damaged.

posted by LibbyLu on 2008-05-07 16:56:23
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My O'hara approach 14 years of infrequent moves an almost too small apartment have given me some new found organizing religion. Despite a pre-move purge, I held on to so much stuff that I could hit myself for carting it to my new place.

The most important thing from my current purge is the time spent sorting through boxes full of items listened to/read/used once or not all (and the money spent on them!) has prevented a lot of spurious purchasing. So far :)

posted by Kinky Gazpacho on 2008-05-07 17:31:57
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Ok, I'm a Martha Rebel O'Hara, so now I don't feel bad about my Bon Appetit and Gourmet collection. At least I don't have things under my bed after I learned it was bad fung shui....

posted by kaanswfm on 2008-05-07 17:35:12
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I'm Scarlett, no doubt. I'm definitely going to throw it away, I just have to look at it one last time to make sure I don't need it. Which I will do tomorrow, or this weekend, or whenever I get the time.

posted by MEP on 2008-05-08 11:00:51
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I thought about this a while after going home and decided to suggest a 6th type but need help naming the prototype. It's for those with the big plan, the brilliant start, and the not finishing. Some people have a clean house with piles of stuff stuffed in closets to sort someday, and some people leave it out and stumble amongst it until they have another solid block of time. Because I'm definitely mostly that. I don't have as much trouble parting with things as developing the schedule and bravery and perseverence to finish what turns out to be overwhelming... or figuring out how to plan things in smaller steps.

Anyone relate?

posted by K T G on 2008-05-08 12:40:50
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