I had a lot of fun with the last American Girl throwback, we're going to do it again! I have an older page here on AmericanGirlFan about the Imagine Magazines and recently got a request to show what they looked like inside. I absolutely loved these magazines when they were still active!
American Girl sent out these free magazines (yes, free!) between the years of 2005 and 2007. The first magazine in the top corner was the first one sent out in Winter 2005, a "preview". The rest were only sent out three times through the two years. It was a seasonal magazine and had Winter, Spring, Summer issues (they skipped Fall for some reason). Each issue had a similar format and the main goal of the magazine was encouraging girls to play with their dolls! Sadly, they discontinued them after 2007.
The Spring 2007 issue is the one we're going to look into. It's my favorite!
The first page had Molly and Emily next to a sign of what the issue was about.
Then there was the "Smile File" that was filled with pictures girls sent in of them with their dolls. There was usually a theme that went along with the pictures. This one was friendship.
Next was "Doll Play" with ideas to play with your doll! This one is about throwing a slumber party with your doll. Some ideas on this page is serve large and small snacks, create rhyming night nicknames, sing karoke, and make pillows out of fabric by using stuffing and gluing the fabric edges together. :)
More ideas: Design skid proof socks (With a pencil trace your doll's feet on cardboard, cut out the patterns and slip them into an old pair of socks, then draw designs on the bottom with fabric paint.), put on a fashion show, try a funny hairstyle, pull out your magazines (American Girl used to have a mini magazine cut-outs with each normal AG issue), have a scavenger hunt, collect autographs, and wake up with pancakes.
Then there was an AmericanGirl.com ad page and a list of more things you could do with your doll outside.
Josefina was featured on this page, I loved that outfit of hers. :)
A doll craft was next, how to make matching girl & doll jewelry.
The following page was AG Characters. Kit and Ruthie was featured, along with games girls played in the 1930s. (Click on the picture above for a closer look, they are good ideas!)
Fashion Pages was next, you could color them. This one was Felicity and Elizabeth.
On the same page was "Behind-the-Scenes". Each issue would have an interview of someone who worked at American Girl. This woman worked at the American Girl Cafe at the New York store.
Nicki was the Girl of the Year doll in 2007 so there was an advertisement and beside that was a cut-out of a best friend autograph book. I of course cut-it out though! ;)
Now, my favorite part of every magazine! Whenever I got a new one, I'd flip to the back first to see the Doll Hospital. Each issue showed a doll needing some help and how beautiful she looked after...
So fun and 'signed Dr. B. Kind' always made me smile. :)
The final page always had a doll photography picture with a mini story underneath. I'm pretty sure these were what inspired me to do photostories and photography with my dolls!
I hope you enjoyed looking back at the Imagine Magazines with me! They really were awesome and I wish American Girl still made them. Do you have any of them? :)
