RELATED POSTS

• Feast your eyes: A Halloween round-up

"Peaco" the ugly doll really isn't that ugly at all. (Jessica Halverson / INtake for The Star)

Those creepy, battery-operated hands are fun for a while; ditto, cardboard coffins and Styrofoam gravestones. This year might be a nice time to upgrade your Halloween decorations a little. Inject some sophistication into your party with a more Victorian/Edwardian look (think Edward Gorey and go nuts). Silver in the City has a lovely metal tea light holder in the shape of a crow ($15). The crow will cut a striking figure on your Halloween buffet table; with a lit candle in place, his eye catches the light dramatically. Also check out Silver in the City's black flocked velvet ornaments ($5 to $12) and mirrored candelabra ($60).

My pet monster

They're called Ugly Dolls, but in my mind, they're anything but. I snagged Peaco ($20) at Mass Ave Toys & Treasures (409 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 715-9158, www.massavetoys.com). My new BFF is pink, has three eyes and likes to dance underwater -- apparently he/she is a little shy (on the outside), but (on the inside) he's a wild man. Toys & Treasures has other sizes and characters, so it's really hard to pick which Ugly you're going to take home with you (believe me, this Ugly will be a way more positive experience than the uglies you have to pick from at night's end at the Alley Cat). The official Ugly Web site is www.uglydolls.com.

Real monsters

The human body is a strange and wonderful playground, it is true. According to Armand Leroi's book, "Mutants," we are all monsters and mutants -- but some of us are more mutant than others. Leroi's "Mutants" focuses on the things that can go wrong at the genetic level -- from Lobster Boy syndrome (ectrodactyly) to hermaphrodism (in one case, a French convent girl finds herself becoming a man at puberty).

Leroi's scientific explanations are given in an engaging voice and, more importantly, all is given the recognition that we are all variations on one basic genome. Head to your local bookstore to buy the book.

On Seabattical

I've fallen dramatically in love with Seabat Studios (www.myspace.com/seabatstudios). The Arkansas-based studio consists of one person, Haley Duke, who displays a vast range of talents and obvious love of her craft. The Stitched Strangers may well be my favorites: These little guys are crudely (but joyfully) stitched and then shoved into jars. But don't miss Duke's sculpted creatures, some of which reside under bell jars. Piece prices range from $35 to $300.

Spooky sounds

You want to impress folks with your Halloween playlist, right? OK, you've got the obvious stuff like Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" (don't laugh, but I have it on vinyl) and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (oh, I have that on vinyl, too). Throw these songs on your iPod; some are scary, some are silly, and some are just enough to get the hairs rising on the back of your neck.

Mick Smiley, "Magic" (the ghostly "Please, please, please" song in "Ghostbusters"). The Horrors, "Sheena Is a Parasite." Harley Poe, "Transvestites Can Be Cannibals, Too." Here Come the Mummies, "Bag of Bones." The Clash, "London Calling." Alien Sex Fiend, "I Walk the Line." Christopher Komeda, soundtrack for "Rosemary's Baby." The Cramps, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." Screamin' Jay Hawkins, "I Put a Spell on You." Future Bible Heroes, "I'm a Vampire." Black Heart Procession, "The Waiter No. 2." Morrissey, "November Spawned a Monster."