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

[confusedgoldilocks]

I love christmas, and I love christmas presents, I got my best friend a lovely calendar showing photos that were precious to me throughout the year of all the good times we have shared, in return, and this is so strange, I got two bookends, which have obviously been handmade, but look like my face, but in a grotesque punch and judy way, I'm not sure whether they are supposed to look so scary, but they are hideous, I actually had nightmares about them last night, and on top of that, a smaller 3D figurine which is basically me looking like a drag queen in hideous blonde hair and a massive red bow, they obviously took a long time and I get that, but I wonder what they are trying to tell me, they have sent me a message asking what I think of them and I really don't know what to say, to be honest, Im quite upset they see me that way. Im just a normal person who loves christmas, I was hoping for tickets to see a christmas carol or something like that.

How does it happen that a person offers to pay for dinner out for a group and doesn't have the means to pay on any bank card?

hand on heart , I really did not, when I saw the bill I panicked, I have not taken anyone out for dinner in a long time, the bread and olives were nearly £8! I let them choose the wine but again, did not realise it was nearly £40 as we didnt have a wine menu, I just said, choose the wine you look and enjoyed the role as host, looking back, I do think this is their way of sending me a message, I get that I messed up, and I probably want things and a lifestyle I can't afford but this seems so cruel.

Just send them the bloody money and an apology in a card saying sorry for the delay.

So you invited them put for a meal, encouraged them to choose and then they had to pay because you couldn't actually afford it?!

Why didn't you spread the amount over more than one card instead of leaving them no choice but to pay in the restaurant?

I think you should thank your friend for the gifts...it may be that she made them and genuinely thinks they are good and she isn't trying to tell you she is upset about the meal at all, but you just have different taste.

The gifts cant be that bad! Just put them out for a few weeks, make sure they are in the background of any photos you send her then put them away for safe keeping

If it had not been for the bookmarks, yes that would have been fine, but I have a hook nose, weird eyes and if I look closely, Im sure I can see a goatee, its so hurtful, it just makes me want to burst into tears, I dont think they could have make me look so ugly and horrible,

This thread!!! Hahahahahaha

Whether they gave you ugly bookends or not you owe them money. Pay the money

I can't possibly comment without a picture.

its really not funny, how would you like it if your best friend made bookmarks that made you look like a bug eyed witch with a slight goatee, when they had let you to believe they were gifting you christmas carol tickets at the old vic, as I said, i know i messed up with the bill but there is no need to be so personal, its downright hurtful and very cruel

The bookends are likely just a caricature, the theatre is possibly a hint that you buy the tickets as payback for the meal.

You might have jumped the shark, OP.

Nobody can possibly be so obtuse.

An ugly present does not absolve you of the responsibility to pay back what you owe

That's the way to do it! 😁

Just a bit, yeah.

Oh no she hasn't!!

This is hilarious 🤣

I can't imagine it, send pictures 😂

It’s unlikely they have had passive aggressive bookends specially made because you stiffed them for dinner last month - if nothing else, they probably had to be ordered months ago.

However playing the generous host and encouraging them to “drink more, it’s on me!” when you don’t actually have money to pay for any of it, is definitely embarrassing and you should transfer them the money for your share at least once you have it.

You mentioned you don’t go out for dinner much and were shocked at £8 for bread and olives - that is a fairly standard price in central London. You might also not realise how much tickets to the Old Vic are these days - £100-200. So that is a pretty big present to expect from them.

How do you know they are supposed to be of you? I would hate a cheap calendar of photos - did you include one of the meal you couldn't afford to treat them too?

It’s a caricature, it’s supposed to be ugly. Would you honestly prefer to have lifelike ones of yourself?!!

it actually gets worse because they knew i would be at my brothers on christmas day so they asked my brother to film it on his mobile phone and send it to them when I opened them, i was horror struck as I removed the wrapper, but my family thought it was hilarious, I begged my brother not to send it but he did, and my face is a real picture, Im shocked and confused, but everyone else is laughing, and now my friend has just rang, they have it on their tv screen and everyone is laughing there as well, as they are at a family do, I've been turned into a figure of fun for someone elses amusement so no, I dont feel like paying for the meal now,

£8 for bread and olives is pretty standard up North too (at least where I am)

This sounds awful for you. I’m really sorry. They are not your friends

yes but the bill for the meal I took them out for was £300 which is about the same as the tickets, although, obviously, they ended up paying, its such a mess now and I feel I have lost a good friend, and no they did not order them, they look homemade, my friend works with computers and has 3D printers

Surely you owe them the tickets then, since they are out £300?