Written by Marti Smith and Babbie Guscio
Photography courtesy of Carolyn Smith and Donna Huffman

his month marks thirty years that Carolyn C. Smith has been in business at the Cut Hut Beauty Shop, located on Shad Avenue, Bluffton, South Carolina. Carolyn first started in the coiffure profession working with Mrs. Margaret Heyward. Mrs. Heyward, who had the first, the best and the only beauty shop in Bluffton for many years, recalls fond memories of Carolyn. “I remember Carolyn when she just a small child,” Mrs. Heyward says. “ She would stand behind me while I was working and hand me the different colored curlers as I needed them. I knew then that she would have her own business one day.” After working with Mrs. Heyward and later on Hilton Head Island, Carolyn decided to become an entrepreneur. In 1975, her father, Walter Crapse, built a beauty shop near her home in Bluffton, where she worked steadily for three years. She closed temporarily due to the birth of her child, Marti, but motherhood couldn’t stop Carolyn from doing what she loved to do. Plus she had developed loyal customers, mainly locals from Bluffton and people from Moss Creek.

As many of us in Bluffton know, it only takes one person in this area to start a rumor or a compliment circulating. With Carolyn’s gracious and hard working attitude her shop became a success in a few years. In 1985 it was time to expand. Her husband added on to her shop so she could accommodate more customers and another hair dresser. Carolyn has seen a lot of Blufftonians come and go but she treats her customers as her second family. Her “Ladies” as she calls them, will come an hour early to gossip, eat or catch a nap and stay an hour later just to see who they may run into.

It’s not only the Cut Hut but Carolyn herself that has played a huge part of what makes Bluffton...Bluffton. With her “Steel Magnolias” atmosphere and Carolyn’s unending willingness to help anyone, she plans on doing hair for as long as she can. If you want to know what’s what or who’s who in Bluffton, just ask someone who gets their hair done at the Cut Hut, they’ll know!

Babbie got up close and personal with Carolyn and here’s the rest of the story.

BORN:
Ridgeland Hospital, 26 January, 1953.

FAMILY:
Husband Lamar, (Marty) daughter Martha Carolyn, (Marti) mother Martha Crapse and plenty of Bluffton relatives.

RESIDENCE:
#8 Pine Island Road, Bluffton.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Bluffton High School, graduated 1971, Paris Beauty School, Savannah, Ga., and College of hard knocks.

HOBBIES:
Hunting with my husband & daughter, playing poker and my investment club.

PLACE OF MOST INFLUENCE:
Pine Bluff Arkansas has always impressed me because of the totally different lifestyle there.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?:
A warm sunny day on the Sandbar with family and friends.

WHICH TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?:
I wish I could sing and play a musical instrument.

WHAY IS YOUR CURRENT STATE OF MIND?:
Totally content.

FAVORITE BOOK:
Kings Oak by Anne Rivers Siddon and anything by John Grisham.

FAVORITE MOVIE:
The Wizard of Oz and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

BEST PRESENT EVER:
Everything I’ve ever gotten.

BEST TRIP EVER:
Great Harbor, Bahamas and Las Vegas.

BEST MEMORIES:
Times spent on Bull Island, visits to Daufuskie and the day Marti graduated from USC.

ONE THING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I would love to write a book.

FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT:
Harolds Country Club, and cookouts in my yard.

WHAT DO YOU VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS?:
Loyalty.

WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BLUFFTON?
Because God put me here and told me to stay put!