The AG Gazette~March/April 2017

The AG Gazette Issue 3, March/April 2017

DOLL-ar Smart Learn how to surf the AG sales with smarts!

Country Stars Read our interview with the newest AG Star's, Logan and Tenney!

Flower Power 5 flower themed DIY's for your dolls!

Spring has SPRUNG!

Table of Contents

Letter from the editor- 3 The AG Scoop-Page 4 Ask Laur-Page 5 Interview with Tenney and LoganPages 6-8 DOLL-ar Smarts-Pages 9-10 Blossoming Beauties-Pages 11-14 DIY Doll Memo Board-Page 15 Flower Power DIY's-Pages 16-18 The Perma-Panty Scandal-Pages 19-24 DIY Doll Easter Crafts-Pages 25-27 Next Time, In The AG Gazette-Page 28 Page 2

Letter From The Editor Dear Reader, Spring has sprung! You know what that means- birds chirping, flowers in full bloom, warmer weather, and lots of fun things to do with your AG dolls! This issue is packed with lots of fun activities to get you through spring break. We channeled our love for the season into this issue. We hope you have some fun playing with your dolls-we sure did! ~Samantha, editor in chief, author of AG blog agdollawesome

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The AG Scoop American Girl just gave us a sneak peak at FIVE new dolls, including Z, Nanea, and dolls they already released!

Felicity from 1774 was just  brought back from the AG archives!  We LOVE her meet dress!

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Ask Laur Dear Laur, I've been debating whether or not the AG rewards program is a good idea. What do you think? ~Mariella

Dear Laur, my doll's hair is REALLY frizzy. Should I send her to the doll hospital? ~Emily Grace

Submit a question: agdollawesome@gmail.com

Dear Mariella, The AG rewards program is a great opportunity to save on AG items. We are on the berry tier and we received 40 dollars off our latest purchase! So I think you should totally consider it.

Dear Emily Grace, If your dolls hair is frizzy, you have two options: you can ask a mom to help you trim the ends, or you can just keep spraying it with water and brushing it with an AG brush. Good Luck!

AG's Rising Stars We sat down with AG's newest contemporary characters, Logan Everett and Tenney Grant. Â They write hit country music together in Nashville, Tennesee

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AGG: Hi there Tenney! We're glad you are here wth us today!

What is your favorite instruments to play?

TG: I'm glad to be here too! Well, I love to play The banjo and the guitar. I also can sing pretty well, and with Logan playing the drums, it's perfect!

AGG: Awesome! On what level of shock were you on when you found out you got to preform at the Bluebird cafe?

TG: Well, I was pretty excited, I hugged my BFF, Jaya, and jumped around screaming!

AGG: We hear your mom owns a food truck! How is that going?

TG: It's going really well! She sells all kinds of fried chicken, and her mashed potato salad is famous in Nashville.

AGG: Hehe, we might have to try some! What is your favorite thing about preforming with Logan?

TG: Well, we get along really well, and he's super cool with his drums. We make a pretty good team!

AGG: Tell us more about Jaya!

TG: Well, Jaya and I have been pretty tight for a long time, we are BFF's! She makes the best jokes.

AGG: Cool! Now before you go, What is your favorote thing from your collection?

TG: Hmm, I'd have to say my gingham PJ's, the moccasins are so comfy!

AGG: Thanks for stopping buy Tenney, Good luck!

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AGG: Hey Logan! Tell us all about yourself!

LE: My name is Logan Everett, and I love to play the drums with one of my freinds, Tenney.

AGG: Cool! Are you proud to be the first ever American Boy doll?

LE: I certainly am, it's awesome!

AGG: What's the hardest thing about preforming live?

LE: Well, it's kind of nerve wracking, like if you mess up, you can't start over. but it's fun too!

AGG: What's your favorite place to eat at in Nashville?

LE: Oh, well, Tenney's mom owns a DELICIOUS food truck called Georgia's Chicken. I love their sweet tea there!

AGG: Do you think you will continue doing this until you're an adult?

LE: This is definitely a career opportunity for me, It's amazing.

AGG: What is your favorite thing about preforming with Tenney?

LE: She is really good with the gutar and the banjo, plus her singing voice is nice.

AGG: Awesome! Thanks for coming here Logan, do you have any advice for bys who like to play the drums?

LE: Never give up, even when it's hard, just keep playing!

You'll get it eventually.

Thanks Logan and Tenney!

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DOLL-ar Smarts We all love to buy stuff from American Girl.... But it certainly breaks the bank! Â We have one tip to help you navigate through your opportunities to save on AG! Page 9

AG sales!

For a company that has high prices, it's a surprise that they have quite a lot of sales!

So next time you are on AG's website, be sure to scroll through the sales. Right now there are 179 items, and some are 50% off The AG sales page also has some leftover GOTY items that they mark off as a different name. AG sometimes even has Truly Me and Beforever sets that are about to be retired, so hurry in, you might miss your chance! The AG sales page has helped us save a TON, and it could most certainly be useful to you!

Pro tip- they mark down holiday items after the holiday has passed as well!

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Beautiful and Blossoming

Spring is a season for bright floral prints, and lucky for us doll fans, AG has released some beautiful floral dresses!

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1. Melody's Floral Peplum Dress

This AG Dress proves you can never go wrong with bows, pleats, and floral prints!

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2.

Maryellen's Strawberry Dress

With this Retro dress, Strawberries are a treat both to eat and to twirl in!

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3.

Mix & Match We put together the top of Maryellen's Pajamas with The new Truly Me Geometric shorts, and we ended up with an adorable spring play outfit!

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DIY Doll Memo Board To make this cutie-pie doll memo board, use staples to tightly cover a square of cork, (available at craft stores) Then, use jewelry pliers to cut pins to size as tacks. Now you can tack up some post cards, photos, and stickers! Use a normal sized pin to hang on the wall.

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Flower Power 4 fun floral DIY's for your dolls!

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1. Â Flower Power Hair Clip To make this flower hair clip, find a flower applique (available at craft stores), and hot glue it onto an alligator clip.

2. Â Easy Flower Power Crown To make this easy flower crown, just hot glue a strip of pretty trim at your local craft stores that fits around your doll's head.

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3. Â Flower Power Bracelet To make this bracelet, string on some beads and a flower charm, and tie around your doll's wrist.

4. Â Flower power headband To make this headband, cut about a foot and a half long strip of fabric, hot glue together, and tie around your doll's head Page 18

The Perma-Panty SCANDAL American Girl Fans were mortified when AG shared that the dolls would come with brand new sewn on underwear. Â We dig deeper into the subject of controversy, and you'll be surprised to find out how much it matters to American Girl Customers...

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Recently, American Girl announced that the Truly Me dolls, Julie, Melody, and Maryellen will now be sold with underwear that is sewn on. The underwear will not affect the swimwear, so why are AG fans angry at this? It all dwindles down to quality. We asked an esteemed three esteemed bloggers in the AG Blogging Community: Light 4 The Lord (DollsNAll), American Girl Doll Artist (SmallDollsInABigWorld), and Mya (AGLane123Studios).

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Mya is from the AGtube channel, AGlane 123 studios, and the blogs AG Lane 123 Studios and Life From Behind a Camera. Â She's also our pen pal!Â

Hello, my name is Mya! I am from the blog AG Lane 123 Studios and Life From Behind a Camera. I am so happy to be featured on the AG Gazette. Thanks, Sam! Today, Sam has asked me to share my opinions on AG's new perma panties.

If you didn't already know, American Girl has decided to attach underwear to the doll. Not just sew it on. They are permanently a part of the cloth body. Now, I don't know about you, but this really bothers me. I'm sure this will effect how the doll will look in swimsuits and leotards. And from some rumored photos I saw, it looks like it could easily cause a defect where there is a lump in the doll's bum. AG claimed it wasn't one of their dolls, but they were probably panicked and trying to gain their fan's trust back. AG is decreasing in quality, and increasing in price. We just want the AG we all love back!

Sincerely, Mya AG Lane 123 Studios

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Light4TheLord is an awesome doll blogger that runs the blog Dolls N' All. Â We love her thoughtful Posts!

The permanent panties have caused quite the disturbance in the AG community. Some people love it, some people hate it. I think I'm currently somewhat neutral. I wish they would've just stuck with the original bodies, because personally, I don't see any problem with it. There are two sides to every story, as they say, as well as pros and cons to almost everything (except for most chocolate and ice cream, with some exceptions). I can see both sides right now, though I haven't seen them in person yet. I can see how it's somewhat more modest (though you normally shouldn't be flaunting an undressed doll....), but I'm not a huge fan of them being pink under stuff that's white - dresses, shorts, skirts, etc. AG has assured us that it shouldn't show underneath leotards and swimsuits, and I just hope they're right. I'm hoping to get another doll this year and the only leo that I have is Isabelle's white one.

People are worried about the dolls not showing proper hygiene (what?! Please tell me this is not a true issue... they're dolls for crying out loud! And while I do know that lots of girls do everything the dolls do - or vice versa- it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Hey, I just wrote three sentences in parentheses!) and others are worried about the underwear being lost (it's called not being careless..though I have to admit I've lost a couple pairs) . In conclusion, I hope they don't add it to too many of the Beforever dolls, but I don't mind too much. I hope that AG will listen to the customers sooner than later, and I hope they don't make too many more changes. I still love AG and I'm proud of that! ~ LIght4theLord

American Girl Doll Artist is a doll blogger who runs the blog Small Dolls In A Big World. Â We love the drawings she does of her dolls, and her news-worthy posts!

I believe the attached underwear is not a good move by AG. The dolls will have one less seam in their torso, making their bodies more probable to the "poopy pants" underwear look we've all seen around the American Girl social media community. The dolls will have one less clothing item, which will take less fabric to make, therefore cutting costs.

And they expect us to pay the same price for the "same quality dolls" they've always made? It makes me so sad to see the brand I know and love turning away from its roots that made them who they are today.

- AGDA

This image depicts the new prototype of sewn on undies for your dolls.

Pro's of the perma-panties

While most doll fans agree the idea of sewn on undies sewn on dolls is a horrid idea, there are a few pro's on the subject: ~It could lead to a discussion with mothers teaching girls the appropriate times to wear underwear ~It would help girls that are prone to losing their doll's panties ~It could make sure that there are no undesired wardrobe malfunctions

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DIY Easter Crafts for your dolls 5 fun Easter crafts to whop out before Easter!

1. Fuzzy Chicks

We found these furry little wire chicks at the dollar store! Â Perfect for dolls!

2. Easter Card

We used watercolors to paint a special Easter greeting card on a folded slip of paper!

3.Glitter Eggs

We found these styrofoam glitter eggs at our local department store!

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4. Painted Eggs

We ordered lots of mini plastic robin eggs on Amazon, and used Craft Paint to paint them different colors 5. Clay eggs

For this egg, simply shape white clay into an eggs shape.

Bake according to the clay directions, and paint!

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Next Time...

In The May/June 2017 Issue

Hit The WAVES! With our fun in the sun Summer themed DIY's!

Hot Hairdo's!

Perfect styles for summer vacation!

Celebrating PLAY...

Fun ideas that inspire Doll Play. Just plain old fun!

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