Sharon MacRury
There’s often a romantic ideal out there of a dreamy island life; be that life on a Greek Island, the Caribbean Islands, or in our very own misty Western Isles. Uist’s Sharon MacRury has made young dreams a reality with her latest business venture, Island Dreams. While discovering and fine tuning her idea over the various Covid19 lockdowns, Sharon has aimed to bring a bit of sparkle, some trendy furniture and even the big screen to your living room to create the perfect atmosphere for your ‘wee ones’ night in.
“Island Dreams was a whole year in the making before it came to fruition. I started doing set-ups in May 2021 because that’s when the Covid regulations allowed me to enter into people’s homes. Lockdown was an opportunity to think about what you want to do and pursue your dreams. I had a lightbulb moment, that I actually could do this and that I could actually make this business work.”
The boring days of lockdown sparked Sharon’s Island Dream. At home with her partner David and son George she often had to come up with ideas to make those long and boring days interesting and fun.
“Spending all that time at home during lockdown, people had to find ways of entertaining the kids, doing things differently. We spent lockdown building a den for my son George, every single day. We would somedays build a shop, or a cinema, or a some other kind of den – every day – and we had so much fun doing it”
Sharon set up Island Dreams with the idea of bringing a bit of creative flair to children’s sleepovers and parties with individual teepees, furnishings and decorations to transform a sitting room into whatever temporary paradise our young islanders desired for their night in. She offers seasonal and various other themes including Football Frenzy, Gaming, Movie Nights, Bee Happy, as well as a Unicorn and Flamingo theme. Her list continues to expand.
“The reactions of the kids and of the parents makes it all so worthwhile, I’m a great believer that giving children experiences completely outweighs giving them things and stuff and that’s where a lot of my ideas have come from. I’ve always enjoyed making an effort for any occasion. For me, growing up, sleepovers with my friends, were a big part of my childhood”
The business has grown and gone from strength to strength since the early days and Sharon is now doing setups for older islanders too.
“After a wee while I decided to incorporate Lux Picnics which is quite a trendy thing at the moment. I think afternoon tea is something that never goes out of fashion. I’m really excited that I can offer a set up for up to twenty adults or children now for any social gatherings. I recently was able to do a Lux-picnic in a bell tent which was a massive dream come true for me and I hope to do more of that sort of thing in the future.”
Sharon has always enjoyed a touch of class, a good party, and most importantly, “making an effort” for any occasion, which is the perfect combination for her latest endeavour. With the support of George, David and Business Gateway, Sharon got to work on making her idea a reality.
“George was my little guinea pig for sure and it was great to get his feedback and his ideas. I definitely wouldn’t now be doing Island Dreams if it wasn’t for David and my own family. They supported and encouraged me and they’re always my constant positive reinforcement. Lynne MacMillan and Business Gateway were also amazing to work with. The support and help from them was just second to none with the business plan and securing funding. It was quite challenging and at times I wanted to give up, but the people around me and the local community have been amazing.”
‘working together with other island businesses is a really empowering experience’
Initially, teaming up with fellow island business, Sweet Boutique was a perfect collaboration. Working with other local businesses has been very important to Island Dreams and the list of collaborators has expanded. Sharon has worked on events with Wild About the Girl florists, The Dark Island Hotel, The Wee Haven Yurt, and has set up adventures and a Santa’s Grotto alongside Otter Mountain (formerly Wild Things Outdoor Nursery). She continues to team up with the various businesses that exist in Uist.
“In this small island community I feel it is really important that businesses support each other and work together wherever possible. I’ve recently worked with many other great businesses in Uist and doing so has been a really empowering experience. I do also feel a kind of sense of girl power when working alongside these other successful women.”
Another string to the Island Dreams bow has been the inclusion of tablescaping; dressing up tables for any social event, adding a touch of glamour to suit any theme or colour scheme and to add finesse to your special event. “I did one recently for a Bridal brunch which was beautiful. The little attention to detail makes a massive difference.” Now she offers various party setups, lux picnics and has decorated for bigger scaled events and parties.
“I love it so much. I spent a lot of my youth working in the Dark Island Hotel and when I think back to that my favourite part was setting up the tables and really taking the time to set them properly, making sure the tables were properly presented. So it’s all come full circle”
In setting up Island Dreams, Sharon has found her passion in life and encourages everyone out there to do the same. “I still pinch myself. I only ever dreamed of doing this sort of thing and yet here I am. I would encourage everyone to do whatever they love, it’s rewarding and it’s good for the soul. If you have an idea, set yourself goals, work hard and just go for it! If I can do it, anyone can.”
“I just love what I do. It all goes back to the idea of making an effort, at home and for the kids. I’m doing something that I absolutely love. If you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.”
To add a bit of sparkle to your night in or your big event, you can contact Sharon on Facebook or Instagram, by email at islanddreamsuist@gmail.com or by phone on 07557261089.
