In Style

“Come in, have a cup of coffee or tea, sit down, relax and enjoy,” says Lisa, as I arrive. While we were chatting the door opens and Sandy strolls in. Both are attractive, bubbly blondes and look more like sisters than mother and daughter. Their relaxed camaraderie is evident. Norah Jones, singing her heart out on a CD, softly adds to the relaxing ambiance, and I couldn’t think of a better place to be.

A distressed Hoosier cabinet holds the latest hair products and the main desk was, at one time, a jeweler’s counter. This and other things point to the fact that Lisa and Sandy both can be seen in local antiques shops and auctions.

“I lived in Somerton (Philadelphia) for twenty-seven years when my kids were young, but I love it out here,” says Sandy. “I grew up in a little country village in upstate PA and went from country bumpkin to city gal and back to country bumpkin.”

Both ladies knew they wanted to be hair stylists at a young age and both achieved their goals. They have taken the professionalism, personal attention to detail, and highly trained staff of the trendy city salons and brought it all to the country—much to the delight of their clients.

“Beauty takes ‘thyme’ and can’t be rushed,” explains Lisa. “Our goal is to make the world a more beautiful place, one client at a thyme! Time runs on a slower pace here in beautiful bucolic Bucks County and in order to accomplish this we like our clients to relax for the duration of their appointment. When they enter our salon they’re greeted by our friendly staff, are able to tour the salon and asked to turn their cell phones to vibrate to prevent distractions. Our salon caters to men, women and young adults (ten and up). You won’t find the stresses of daily life here. Once our clients enter they are whisked away for a professional hair consultation with their stylist of choice.

“We wanted the salon to have the old world country feel with a fresh holistic approach to the senses, which helps relax both mind and body. We create and reveal the beauty that each client already has hidden deep within themselves, wishing to be unveiled. We all carry a PHD—Professional Hair Designers—in this business. Making people look and feel beautiful is the best job. It’s like being a flower delivery person; people are always smiling when they leave us.”

And, that’s just the beginning! The relaxation starts with stress relieving aromatherapy, and mini mind-melting scalp massage. Each stylist has their own unique touch. Besides Sandy, who’s been in the business for nearly forty years, and Lisa, who’s been a master stylist for twenty years, Dawn Hager and Victoria L. McGinley comprise the rest of the team. Dawn is also a nail tech who brings the hottest new nail service called “Shellac Polish” to the salon, and Victoria’s passion is hair color, custom cutting, make-up and formal dress work. They all find working at A Snip in Thyme a wonderful, relaxing, creative atmosphere.

For those who desire more relaxation Lisa is certified in Reiki. “The name Angel Thyme Reiki came about by understanding what was flowing through the body as the healing Reiki was offered to clients,” she explains. “Often, when conducting a Reiki session on a client, I feel the energies of the Angelic Realm become present in the room, which is how Angel Reiki works. I realize I’m not the healer only the channel through which the energy flows. I’m certified in Access Bars Healing as well. This gentle yet effective healing technique is offered to help release negative thought patterns that block or limit the body and body. It’s a wonderful technique used for those who want to let go of things that no longer serve their highest good.”

Another surprise that greets clients when they walk in is a selection of boutique items—beaded and crystal hand-made jewelry by local artisans, inspirational items including shirts, mugs, meditation CD’s and Lisa’s hand-made line of Equestrian jewelry.

“We carry a wonderful selection of items, including all hair tools,” she says. “My line of equestrian jewelry uses equine beads that keep other wildlife away. The noise of the bells also keeps horses in their gait. These are the perfect gifts for Western Equestrians. And our Crystals have been brought back from Sedona (AZ). We also carry pure, raw honey. When we were designing our salon I wanted calming colors so we used blues, a gold wash and cream tones on the wall.”

A Snip in Thyme caters to brides, their bridal party and prom nights. “We offer all hair services including up-dos and full make-up applications that will last through the day or night.”

This year “A Snip in Thyme” launched a new campaign on Facebook and Twitter called “A year of Inspired Beauty and Kindness.” The salon is trying to bring the community together to share and spread random acts of kindness to their friends on these sites. They also help support local businesses with donations and their continued support to Locks of Love.  Discounts are offered to clients when donating their locks to such a wonderful organization and they take care of the paperwork and fees for mailing out the pony tails.  Now Lisa is growing her hair to be donated sometimes next year. It will be her second donation to Locks of Love over the years.

“We hope that others will help us in spreading the beauty throughout Bucks County by becoming a friend of the salon and sharing our posts on contests and giveaways,” Lisa explains. “We want to make this part of the world a better place just by being part of this beautiful community—and inspiring others to do the same.”

Sandy, who has two other adult children plus three grandchildren who she admittedly dotes on, wants to confess something. “I’m extremely proud of my daughter, she is very unique,” she says. Lisa countered, “And, I’m proud of mom. We are lucky to be able to work together and we’re best friends.”

A Snip in Thyme Hair Salon is located at Harrow Station Shopping Center, Rte. 611 & Rte. 412, 8330 Easton Road Building E, Suit 3, Ottsville PA 18942. For more information about A Snip in Thyme, call 610-847-4247 or visit asnipinthymehairsalon.com.