There's a Raven in My Halloween Haven

And he's perched on one of my new Halloween pillar candles...

This is the second year in a row that I've gone a bit mad for Halloween decor, and it's almost as much fun as decorating for Christmas but far less time-consuming and far less costly.

Here is the black iron floor candelabra I found at the Brimfield Antiques Show last month, complete with pillar candles and a Dia de Los Muertos ornament I found at a shop in Provincetown over the summer.
(I have a close-up photo of the Dia de Los Muertos ornament but it must be possessed because it won't upload).

I didn't post it on last month's Brimfield entry, but now my secret's out: I visited my favorite awesome hardware dealer to buy some skeleton keys. These were $2 to $3 apiece so I was able to purchase a bunch. I intentionally chose some with rust, and tried to find different shapes and sizes.

Keys are so symbolic – evocative, hopeful and mysterious.
What doors did they once unlock? Perhaps secret rooms filled with many treasures.

I decided to use them as ornaments on my Halloween tree.

I also found a bunch on a keychain from another dealer. Could they have belonged to a creepy butler or superintendent from decades gone by?

Yes, I've gone batty for skeleton keys.

The vintage Kron owl TV lamp is from last year.
Who's guarding the skeleton keys? He is.

The living room is a warm room and gets used more in the cooler months so I put most of the decorations here.

In the coming weeks I'll probably buy a couple of pumpkins, which I can place atop the two round coffee tables in this photo's foreground.

Here's proof that you can really decorate on the cheap. I found the jointed paper skeleton at the Dollar Tree store, which, you guessed it, was $1.

Arrrrrr... ya ain't never gonna leave this house.

And here's something I found for free in nature on one of my evening walks: fallen bare tree branches from an overly blustery day. They make an easy centerpiece, and I especially like their curvy shapes. I left a few of the dry leaves intact, just as I found them.

Finally, moving down to my long, funky hallway, I splurged a little on black silk Halloween chandelier shades from Ballard Designs. They add just the right spooky touch when combined with dusty magical crystals.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope it's frightfully fun.