If you have ever taken the time to read the list of lengthy hashtags beneath some of my Instagram posts, you may have stumbled upon one that reads: #shedgoeswhereprovisionsgoes.  That hashtag has been the truth since Lori and I first met in 2013 at the Spring Handmade Market.  I was a newbie on the market scene, I was still working my full-time job at the Good Earth Food & Wine Co., in Beamsville.  Lori and I were placed next to each other at the market, and what I remember most, is Lori's giant display table!  She used every square inch of her allotted space and that meant squeezing past my chair and rubbing against the back of my head and shoulders every time she needed out of her space.   
It may sound like I am complaining, but I'm not!  How could I!? Lori smoothed everything over by handing me some of her savoury shortbreads and chewy salted caramels. Mmmmm! Oh my, she hooked me instantly!  I am not ashamed to say I ate the entire bag of caramels one after the other....I couldn't stop until they were gone, and then I was only left wanting more.  
Lori and I chatted throughout the day, I learned that she had also worked at the Good Earth Food & Wine Co.  She left the Good Earth and co-authored the Harrow Fair Cookbook with her sister Moira. In 2012, Lori went on to start her own business Provisions Food Company Niagara.
Since our first meeting in the Spring of 2013, we developed a supportive friendship and business relationship. We were both starting new businesses, and our products fit well together, so it made sense to marry our products and do what we could to help one another. Lori sells a selection of my wares on her website, and I sell a selection of her foodstuffs in my retail gallery.  We encourage each other to participate in events and workshops and sometimes loosely base our decisions on, "well, if you go...I will go."  Hence, #shedgoeswhereprovisionsgoes or, #provisionsgoeswhereshedgoes.  
Lori is a bubbly, gregarious woman.  To meet Lori is to meet Provisions; you will fall in love with her and her food creations immediately.  You will have the opportunity to meet Lori at the December shed & Friends Open House, and once you become hooked like me, you can visit shed year round to stay stocked on Lori's goods. 

A short bio on Lori:
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Lori McDonald. Founder.

Lori started Provisions Food Company in 2012 after noticing a need for finely made and beautifully packaged local foodstuffs in many of the local wineries.    Since then the business has grown and her products are sold coast to coast at select fine food stores as well as Loblaw’s and Indigo.  Provisions products have been showcased in Food & Drink Magazine, in Chatelaine magazine (online edition), and Rev Publisher’s Taste and Business magazines. Prior to starting Provisions, Lori spent her career in a variety of aspects of the food and wine industry, earning a BSc in Biology from Brock University along the way.  In 2012, Lori wrote The Harrow Fair Cookbook with her sister, Moira Sanders which won a Canadian cookbook award and has gone on to become a Canadian bestseller.
In 2013, Lori was the recipient of the 1st annual Shannon Passero Women in Business grant.  This grant ($12,500) enabled her to hire pivotal employees, invest in crucial equipment, and polish the packaging and branding of Provisions products.
Provisions focuses on products that are wine friendly, all natural, made from locally sourced produce, and relies on flavours that are classic as well as delicious.
 

For more information visit Provisions' website and follow @pfcniagara on social media for yummy updates. 

Jolene Antle is the owner and product creator of Garden City Essentials. Jolene and I first met at the Handmade Market Niagara and we became fast friends!  Jolene has a way of connecting with people instantly. She is a soft spoken, quick-witted, spirited woman.  Her passion for her creating exceptional skin care products is evident in all of her work.  Her product line ranges from natural deodorants (my favourite), soaps, facial serums, candles, lip balms, body butters and more! You can meet Jolene at the December shed & Friends mini-market and for future convenience a selection of GCE products are available year round at shed. 

     
About Shanna:
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     I first met Shanna in the winter of 2012.  I was working full-time in the hospitality industry.  Pottery-making was my part-time gig.  I created a facebook page and posted a few pictures just in time for Christmas. Shanna was my very first customer.  She found me online and met with me at my home to pick up her order.  shed's retail gallery was non-existent at that time.  That exchange marked the beginning of what would later evolve into a friendship and mutual admiration for each other's work.   
     Shanna joined me at shed for pottery lessons in 2014, (something I no longer offer).  I was in awe of her natural ability to create beautiful pieces in all of her pottery work.  We bonded over our country living and homesteading lifestyles. 
     Recently Shanna started sharing her new passion on social media; working with watercolours.  And once again, I found myself in awe.  I love her original style.  The way she adds a splatter of colour for background interest and depth.  I love her muses and her vibrant palette. 
When I decided to host the shed & Friends Christmas mini-market, I thought of Shanna immediately!  So to introduce you to her today, I asked Shanna to write a little bit about herself.  This is what she had to say:
    "I have loved the arts my whole life.  Originally, pursuing a career in musical theatre, I studied at St. Clair college in the Music Theatre Performance program, and went on to form a three part harmony trio performing songs of the 30s and 40s (predominantly the Andrews Sisters).
     I still love singing, but life moves on, dreams change, and that's okay! Now, living on our 10 acre hobby farm with my husband and our two beautiful children, I needed a way to express myself through the arts again.  Growing up drawing and painting for fun, I decided to explore the world of watercolours. I opened up shop this past July 2016 and haven't looked back! I'm able to stay home with my little ones and that's a dream. I absolutely love working with watercolours and watching the water and paint dance across the paper. I get inspired by things all around me. My children, farm animals, nature, thoughts, and love of fantasy are just a few.  You can follow my journey on instagram: www.instagram.com/shannaleepaintings or visit my etsy shop: ​www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ShannaLeePaintings "