Trends for March 5,2000

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, March 5, 2001 | 9:28 a.m.

True Blue

Wouldnt working at the Crayola crayon factory be a great job? Well, maybe not working in the factory itself, but certainly at the companys Easton, Pa., headquarters, where the honchos are assigned to come up with wacky names for new hues and other such tasks.

Those are the folks who are also in charge of reporting the results of the Crayola Census 2000. Of all 19 shades of blue crayons the company makes, regular blue is the favorite color of Americans who took part in the silly census.

President Bush was one of them. He voted for a color called blue bell. Pop tart Britney Spears likes robins egg blue; and Kenneth Prewitt, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, also gave blue the nod.

Plain, old blue was followed in the top 10 by six other shades of blue - sky-blue, midnight blue, aquamarine, periwinkle, denim and blizzard blue - as well as purple heart, Caribbean green and cherry red.

Points to ponder

So were you among the multitudes who popped the question - or were proposed to - on Valentines Day? Congratulations. But are you sure youre marrying the right person? Thats the question writer/broadcaster Andrea Reynolds poses with her new self-published book, "No Surprises! 365 Critical Questions You Need to Ask Each Other Before You Marry ... and How to Ask Them" ($9).

Some of her suggested queries are anything but romantic: If my aging parents become unable to care for themselves, where will they live? If I were in an accident and became paralyzed, how would that change your feelings for me or your behavior?

Wait, theres more: Under what circumstances would it be OK with you if I had sex with other partners during our marriage? And the likely answer to that question - What would cause you to leave our marriage permanently or temporarily?

Sounds like a long engagement is in order.

Copies of the book are available by writing to Reynolds at P.O. Box 49, Lake City, PA 16423, or by visiting AndreaReynolds.com/365ques.html.

His, hers, ours

So lets assume those questions are answered, um, correctly, and the nuptials go forward. At the very least, youre going to need a sofa, right?

The American Furniture Manufacturers Association, in High Point, N.C., recently released the results of its survey of newlyweds and their furniture-buying habits.

It seems that 28 percent of married couples purchased their first piece of furniture together even before saying "I do," while 32 percent bought it within the first six months of marriage.

In their first homes, 43 percent of newlyweds chose to first fill the living room with furniture, while 33 percent opted for the bedroom; 10 percent went full force and filled the entire house; 6 percent went immediately to work on the dining room; and 4 percent tackled the kitchen.

Lisa Ferguson is the Sun assistant features editor. Her Trends column appears Mondays. Reach her at lisa@lasvegassun.com or 259-4060.