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.

because once i sent a photo of me and i had a big red bow in my blonde hair, its based on that photo

I think you're very naive OP. Of course you should have paid them back, but your friend wasn't direct with you and you took her at her word.

As an autistic person who used to have absolutely terrible social skills, I'd say that of course she did it on purpose and it's invalidating to say otherwise. It seems an incredibly cruel thing to do to someone who's clueless but not malicious. She should have directly asked for the money or ended the friendship.

A lot of people are saying "her" about the friend, but I think the friend sounds a spiteful woman-hating man! OP hasn't said she. Is that right OP?

maybe the friends think it isn't hideous & are proud of their work - asked for OP's reaction to be filmed expecting her to be delighted.

It seems a lot of trouble to humiliate someone who has been a close friend

Send them the money then back away from this friendship.

Well, those bookends are certainly something 😱

I think we need pictures OP for accurate voting capabilities

Sounds like you were meant to take the hint and buy them theatre tickets!

This is the best thread I've read over the festive period 🥲

Anyway whatever happened to Baby Jane? 😳

So they paid £300 for the meal you said you were paying for & then you were expecting tickets costing £300 for Christmas & you just got her a calendar. That’s so embarrassing.

Wait, so you think your friend wants to take some form of revenge on you for not being able to pay for dinner?

And you think the way they've chosen to do this is to make some bookends that make fun of your appearance and give them to you as a Christmas gift?

Do you realize how insane that sounds?

I completely believe you that the presents are hideous and insulting. It is however a really strange way to take revenge.

(I would have insisted on paying them back somehow, however, after the meal.)

Immortalised as bookmarks!

Oops!
Bookends!

Then this post is a fabrication "faux" I couldn't possibly (but the truth is you could, you wont). Edited to refer to someone's rational request for photo of supposed bookends...

And I am ignoring the restaurant thing as that is bad form but another seemingly tall tale "spin off story" 🕵

Brilliant

The obvious imbalance of this situation makes me question whether or not it’s real.

I wondered when the crazy man haters would appear 😂

Just thinking about how I’m never going to get the precious minutes of my life back that I spent reading this ☹️

Yea I go to the trouble of making bookends and a figurine in my own quirky style just to let you know I think you are… what? Cheap? Mean? Ugly?
Or could It be that your friend loves you but has different taste and thinks these things look great (have to say I think the image looked charming not at all scary)! I think you are reading WAY too much into this. And frankly if someone said they’d take me out to dinner, didn’t in the end so I had to pay, I’m not sure I’d be giving them a present at all!

How long was it between the meal and receiving the gift from your friend?
Any reason no one suggested splitting the bill?

Then perhaps it's just a jokey reference to that?

Put the money in an envelope and shove it thru their letterbox..then package up the gift and leave it on their doorstep with a note saying.
I know I messed up with the money for the meal however this present is hurtful and the video you all watched on the tv of me opening it is shameful of you as friends. I feel humiliated.

I'm sorry you had to open this awful gift

did they think it was fancy dress and the photo was ironic, so they sent something that reminded them of that ridiculous bow?😂