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

Why didn't you just pay for the meal over a few cards to stop it getting declined instead of letting friends pay?

I’m sorry. I think you were wrong to
have not insisted on paying for the meal the next day - even taking cash over - but to insist on your brother filming you and sending the film to them is humiliating and is disproportionate to what you did wrong.if they were really bothered by the money they should’ve told you to pay them instead of this. Also if my friend’s multiple cards got declined I’d be worried she’s broke and would have a concerned conversation, I wouldn’t seek to embarrass her on film.

i would be considering my friendship with them and my relationship with my brother.

To be honest I really think the 2 things are unrelated - they gave you a weird thoughtless present, you had them pay for a meal. Sounds to me like that’s all there is to it

Talk to her? “I can see they were personalised, but I’m not sure they are quite my taste. I wondered what you thought when you were choosing them?”

we don't know what you actually look like in real life

Maybe it was a joke, maybe they are beginners and not every good at making this stuff

Your reaction is completely ridiculous and over the top. At worst, you have an ugly object. Why on earth do you take it so personally and are you so upset?

This! The op is massively entitled

How do we not know that you are lying for attention if you won't post a picture?

I have a feeling that your friend doesn't like you very much

How did so many of your cards get declined? I mean given that you encouraged people to order more because you were paying, you must have had the funds available?

That is absolutely hideous!

Sounds like they were trying to get a funny, personalised gift and it's misfired a bit, but give them a break. If you wanted tickets for a show (or anything else specific) I think it was worth requesting that.

You are Joan Crawford??

Is it possible- and this is probably a massive leap- that the bookends are actually not caricatures of you, but of Ebeneezer Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol? And that's why they wanted to see your reaction?

Regardless- it was beyond crass of you to play the gracious host at the restaurant and then not have the means to pay for it, and even worse to be expecting an expensive gift like theatre tickets from the same people that you stiffed.

So you offered to take your friends out for a meal but then they ended up paying because all your cards were declined, then it sounds like they dropped hints that you could take them to the theatre as a way of paying them back but you thought they were offering to buy you the tickets which would have meant that they would have been £600 out of pocket and then to cap it all off you bought them a lousy calendar for xmas. You should have transferred the money for the meal. I bet they are pissed off with you. How do you know the bookends are of you and not of a spooky character?

That is a very strange gift to give I’ll give you that

I know, sticks them with a £300 dinner bill and is then surprised they haven’t spent a further £300 on expensive theatre tickets for her Christmas present, when she spent a whole £20 on a calendar for them 🤣

I suspect we will wait a while for these photos.

This can't be real, but f it is, you are a massive CF.

If they made the bookends themselves then it is unlikely it was since the meal, not sure what medium but many take time. Same if they ordered them.
If I tried to make book ends to look like a particular person they probably would look like a caricature but that is because I can’t make very accurately.
Might they have been a a caricature/representation of a figure from fiction? Did your family think they were a representation of you?
Is the failure to pay for the meal part of a pattern?
As an absolute minimum you need to get the money to your friend for the meal with a genuine apology.

I'm sorry you're feeling so upset OP. It's horrible to feel insecure in a friendship and wonder if people are laughing at you. The restaurant incident is horrible and you must have felt awful you poor thing. If it makes you feel better, I've been on the opposite side of that and I understood that it was a mistake. Friends laugh this stuff off and don't judge eachother. Honestly, I don't think your friend went to a huge amount of effort to make you look ridiculous in a Christmas present. Think how much work that would be! No one would do that just to be mean an have a laugh - there are some many quicker, cheaper and easier ways to be mean. If she was angry about the meal then she probably wouldn't have gotten you any present. It's far more likely that she's not a very talented artist but tried her best. A handmade gift is very special. You sound very loved by your friend so don't lent anxious thoughts ruin a special Christmas. Smile everytime you see the gift and remember that someone handmade something special just for you. Maybe buy your friend the Christmas Carol tickets as a payback for the meal and add a gently apology in person.

I got my best friend a lovely calendar showing photos that were precious to me

Is that a good present?

Waiting for the pics 👀

Also, to think they were buying you £300 theatre tickets and you got her a calendar that must have cost £30 tops…
and then you made them pay for the £300 meal and haven’t paid them back…
Maybe they are taking the piss.