FOF Deb Johns is giving away three of her fun and roomy tote bags from her line, Scout. One lucky FOF will win the "original Deano," a generously sized tote and the line's bestseller, "the weekender," perfect for a short getaway, and the "spirit liftah," a stylish wine gift tote. Enter to win by answering this question in the comments below: Where would you take your Scout bag?

FOF Deb Johns thirty year career in fashion started in 1979 as an editor Vogue magazine. Since then, she's launched three fashion businesses, and currently runs a personal styling and wardrobe business, as well as a pop-up boutique selling jewelry and accessories in Washington, D.C. But, Deb didn’t stop there. During a business trip to Milan in 2005, Deb purchased a beautiful, but costly tote bag. Using her background in fashion, as well as her husbands experience in the gifting industry, Deb decided to make a more affordable version of the same bag. "We realized there was a void in the market for an inexpensive, highly functional, fun tote bag," says Deb. "We launched the company based on the fact that there was a really identifiable missing component in the market."

Deb found a manufacturer in China to create her line of tote bags, which she named Scout, after her dog. She first started selling Scout bags at her pop-up boutique in 2006, which were an instant hit with customers. "Being able to sell directly to consumers and get feedback is an unusual thing to have when you're designing a line," says Deb. "There was a great reaction to it--customers were very excited about the functional appeal as well as the inexpensive price tag."

Scout bags officially launched in 2007. They are now sold in about 1,500 retail outlets throughout the U.S. and have been featured in magazines such as Better Homes, Family Circle, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Scouts have been toted and touted by celebs like Denise Richards and Jane Seymour. "We have continued to refine the look of the line," says Deb. "Our line has new patterns and colors every season."  Deb's Scout bag team has a meeting each season to come up with the fun, slightly irreverent names used for her bags, like the "spirit liftah" and the "totes mah goats."

"We really want our company to be not just about selling bags," Deb says, "but about creating  refreshing, dynamic, not-so-serious products that actually function in quite a serious way."

"A lot of women over fifty are increasingly more mobile," says Deb. "Scout bags allow people to be able to carry things easily in a stylish, fun way, at an affordable cost."

Enter to win three Scout tote bags by answering this question in the comments below: Where would you take your Scout bag?


One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes January 31, 2012 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.