Goth and glitter. Bones and ornaments dusted with lime, ebony, orange or purple sparkle. Startling images on dishware and textiles.

These are just some of the ways retailers and designers are playing up Halloween's theatrical vibe this year. Even for a holiday that's by definition a study in over-the-topness, there are standards to be kept.

Vases, bowls and candelabra cloaked in black lacquer. Papier-mché decorations painted with old-fashioned Halloween imagery.

Martha Stewart has created elegant tablescape chandeliers, skulls and skeletons encrusted with colorful glitter, as well as a grinning pumpkin clock, and black jack-o'-lanterns stacked in a threesome, ready to light the walkway, at GrandinRoad.com. The e-retailer also has a glass bowl cupped by spooky, bony hands, a darkly handsome pre-lit willow tree, and ebony LED candles dripping faux wax.

Dress a sophisticated Halloween cocktail table with Pottery Barn's photoprinted skull appetizer plates and trays, and life-size crow candles. Placed on a black table runner printed with spider webs and bedecked in hand-beaded spiders, ghoulish becomes glamorous.

At Pier 1, whimsical papier-mché ornaments feature vintage-style monsters or eyeballs; hang them in a ``haunted'' tabletop tree or display them in a rustic basket. The retailer's stained glass pumpkin votive holder and harvest-hued feather wreath would do double duty for Thanksgiving parties, too.

With Halloween falling on a Saturday, parties will be plentiful. Go beyond the traditional ``monster mash'' bash with Celebration.com's fun alternative themes, such as True Blood, Wicked or Dead Rock Stars. The site's party planners suggest using orange roses, twisty branches, and lots of black and white dinnerware to set the stage -- fashionable dining table decor at any time of year.

As for that iconic symbol of the season -- the pumpkin -- look no further than the pages of Martha Stewart's October issue. The magazine's crafty stylists don't disappoint when it comes to weird and wonderful carving ideas. This year, there are templates for snakes, feathers, goblets and entire eerie vignettes. If you're handy with a pencil and a linoleum cutter, inspiration awaits.

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