This Year's First Trash Pick

     Most trash pickers would say no to my latest project - a chair.  It wasn't very old.  It wasn't very pretty.  It wasn't even completely made of wood.  The chair back, including what looked like a caned insert, was molded plastic.  I was going to make this sad thing look better, and I wasn't going to spend a cent doing it.

It was solid - not a wobble.

I call it plastic, but what is this strange stuff from which cheap 1960's furniture was molded?

I started out with some nippers.  When I got the hole big enough, I switched to pliers.  I broke away all the fake cane.

I was left with ragged edges.  I achieved the best result smoothing things out by sawing (by hand) with a hack saw blade.  I followed up with sand paper.

Here's the new look - an open back.

A Closer View

   

I primed and painted with left over paint.

I went over the chair with some ancient left over antiquing stain.

 

I begged a piece of scrap plywood and asked my nephew to cut a seat.  Thanks Chuck.  Thanks Dave.

Seat Attached

Seat Painted and Stained.

I originally planned to upholster the seat, but I wasn't sure I had the skills.  Also, my fifty year old, inherited staple gun doesn't work very well.  Oh, how I covet an electric staple gun.  I went through the stash in the attic and found a piece of foam and some girly, pink printed fabric for making a cushion.  I didn't have enough left over cording to do the top and bottom of the cushion, so I used cording only on the top.  

Micellar Water and Me

     One of the dangers of watching too much television is that you might buy the products advertised during the commercial breaks.  After seeing the Garnier micellar water spot for the umpteenth time, I had to get some; but first, I did a little reasearch.
     Micellar water was invented in France around one hundred years ago.  The french water supply was harsh on skin, so women used micellar water to clean their faces.  The product is simply soft water (water with the minerals removed) combined with oily-ness.
     "What," you say, "oil and water don't mix."  Yes, they do if you mix water with a surfactant. Surfactants are compounds that reduce surface tension between two liquids.  You will see them listed as ingredients in laundry detergent and household cleaners.  Surfactant molecules have an oil seeking end and a water seeking end.  When you add just the right amount of surfactant to water, the oil seeking end of the molecules join together forming an oily center.  This leaves the water seeking end of the molecules on the outside.  These oily blobs called micelles are suspended in the water (not floating on top) protected by their water compatible shell.  When you wipe micellar water on your face, the oily part of the micelle grabs dirt, and the watery part floats it off your skin.  Because the surfactants used are low foaming and mild, you don't have to rinse after cleansing with micellar water - even when you use the cleanser to remove eye make up.
     Armed with this knowledge, I thought, "What the heck. I'm gonna get me some micellar water."  After one use I knew I was going back to my Wal-mart brand make up removing wipes. So what if I have to splash a little water in my face after wiping.  The micellar experience took me back to the 1970's when Johnson's baby products were marketed to adults - baby shampoo for soft hair, baby oil for tanning and for make up removal.  The micellar water left a greasy film on my face which quickly disappeared leaving an interesting feeling behind.  It's the same feeling you get if you rub baby oil on your skin when you are still wet from a shower, then towel off.  I didn't think the process was as quick and convenient as pulling a wipe out of the package, cleaning my entire face, and rinsing.  I used cotton balls to clean my face, and it took bunches of them to do the job.  Those little, round pads would have been a better idea.  Proponents of micellar water say that you will pick up all sorts of grime if you go back over your face with their product after you clean using your current method.  I look clean, I feel clean, and I don't have any break outs with my Wal-Mart wipes, so I think I'm clean enough.
     If you want to try micellar water, the Garnier brand is available everywhere.  I bought mine at CVS ($8.99) and paid too much.  It's cheaper at Shop Rite ($7.99) and even cheaper at Walmart ($6.96).  The only size is a 13.5 ounce bottle.  There is a regular version (pink label) and a version that works best with water proof eye make up (blue label).  One further tidbit: Micellar water works best on dry to normal skin.  It is not as effective for cleaning oily skin.  Bioderma makes a 16.91 ounce bottle of micellar water formulated for oily skin ($19.95 on Amazon).