Inappropriate present, hideous bookends and me in drag!!!!

This! OP seems very selfish and lacking in awareness.

1. talking about a great concert they saw and telling you you’d like is not a hint that they are getting you tickets.
2. a picture calender is not a great gift (unless you’re a grandparent and it’s pictures of your grandchildren).
3. what business did you have inviting them for dinner when you don’t have money!
4. how do you know the images in their gifts are of you? Maybe they are random caricatures?

Here comes the ND BINGO CARD!

Have a day off love seriously.

I would put the bookends and whatever that other thing is in an opaque sealable bag and bury them at a crossroads at midnight. Then go home and smudge your whole house with sage, probably your brother's house, too.

Then I would consider binning the friends as their style of communication sounds exhausting. (Also agree with PPs - made by a woman that thing you posted might be legitimately misguided/"creative", especially if she's not yet very experienced or skillful in making such things, but from a man it's creepy as fuck.)

(Edited: bookENDS, not bookMARKS!)

I can’t get over the whole meal debacle, and the fact that the OP hasn’t paid her friends back yet, and ON TOP of that, expected expensive theatre tickets as a present in return for a calendar. Someone’s ideas are a bit skewed.

So you don't like their present. Stop taking it so personally. It's a caricature gift

Your friend was hinting for you to buy theatre tickets as you OWE THEM £300!!

I thought the best friend was a gay man.

I was confused about the gender. The gift half starts to make some sort of sense in that context. It's still very very odd.

If this is real, which I doubt, I suspect the friends spotted it in a shop and it reminded them of OP’s photo of herself in a massive Jojo bow, which they thought was a joke photo. So they bought the joke bookends to continue the joke. Hence the video of her reaction.

Only the photo doesn’t seem to have been a joke, and OP is upset.

Does anyone else think the friend has taken a 3D printer pattern and modified it to try and look like the OP, and thinks it's fun rather than being intended to embarrass?

I don't think it's related to the restaurant incident. I think they are quite pleased with their 3D printer and wanted to make something fun.

You believe this 🤔

Very irresponsible and flaky of you. Never mind focusing on the ‘hideous’ presents you should be feeling pretty embarrassed 🤦‍♀️🫣

It's a strange one, it certainly sounds unkind.

But why did the 'friend' want the OP opening the present filmed and played out on her TV (in front of an audience - and all laughing) if they didn't give her the bookends to be unkind?

Thank you so much for sharing OP 😂😂😂😂😂😂

I think you’re overthinking it and it’s meant to be funny- hence why they wanted to see you open it. They probably misjudged your humour. Not the end of the world.

But I’m baffled why you would get such a crappy personalised calendar of pics of the two of you for your friend who presumably would have to hang it up in a home she shares with her partner? It’s an awkward gift. Also not sure why you would give such a rubbish gift when you were expecting her to give you expensive theatre tickets.

I have a feeling that you are used to your friend paying for you, treating you to things and now take it for granted. At the very least you should refund her the £300 for the meal she paid for.

This thread is bonkers. To me the figurine looks like a panto dame - was there some kind of joke of one having your hair?

OP, are you ND/autistic in some way? I think the way you read social situations is very indicative of such. Plus the hyper focus on things and expectations of what you think is lovely (a cheap calendar) and not being able to see a bit of joking/assuming the worst? Or the massive imbalance of the theatre tickets and meal. Sounds like you thought a central London meal with wine for three would be £50 followed by £8 Old Vic tickets, which seems very naive

True 😂 I've read more thoroughly, and it seems @confusedgoldilocks was expecting 300 bucks worth of tickets, as well as them shouting her dinner.

I think they thought this was funny and didn’t realise you’d be so offended. If they’re a close friend, it’s quite baffling they didn’t know this isn’t your humour. To be honest, I have no idea how much that monstrosity cost but if it’s handmade and personalised I’d imagine it wasn’t cheap and it’s so ugly.

Nobody offers to pay for a meal, encourages her guests to choose anything they fancy from the menu while all the while not having the money to pay. That’s not just fool hardy that’s crazy conduct, so I don’t believe your bookend story and ensuing video can be true either I’m afraid.
Sorry OP.

So all you cards got declined after you’d encouraged them to order loads? You got them a calendar but expected tickets to a show? Seriously?

On the plus side, it doesn't have a goatee.

First: pay the friend back asap. Don’t take no for an answer, post the cash through the letterbox if you have to.

Second: yes that bookend or whatever it is is qrotesque and must be intentionally so. I’m sure you look nothing like it.

I get sick of some posters who say things like ‘don’t be insecure about your appearance’ or ‘take a joke’ etc. Who can honestly say they are totally confident about their appearance? Most of us feel a bit depressed when we see a hideous photo of ourselves, but giving someone a deliberate caricature which has taken some effort to make, and then filming their reaction, is on another level.

So, pay them back, say nothing, leave the ball in their court.

(Don't end the friendship though, that's way OTT for people to be suggesting given that OP describes her as a dear friend and this is all clearly crossed wires)

Ian McKellans Panto Dame?