For an aesthetics junkie like me, I knew that when I upgraded to the iPhone 4 last month, only one particular case would do. If you’re a color lover that’s in the market for a super basic case that doesn’t bulk up your phone, this may be the answer. And in case you’re wondering, the allure of constantly pulling a giant Pantone swatch out of my purse still hasn’t gotten old!

Today, I’m going to share my new favorite book with you, Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color. What makes this book so amazing is that it covers the evolution of color in our society over the last 100 years, from 1900 onwards. Each decade receives its own chapter along with corresponding images of art, fashion and decor representative of particular palettes that were popular during that period.

From the swatches of 1930s The Wizard of Oz (Silver, Straw and Lion) to 1980s Miami Vice (Pink Mist, Lavendula and Radiant Orchid) to 1990s Grunge (Coffee Bean, Faded Denim and Earth Red), the cultural movements of America and the colors they helped influence are all painstakingly covered. Students of graphic and fashion design as well as lovers of color theory will adore this book.

Remember last week how I shared the sentiment that everybody should like everybody with the accompanying Warhol print? Well, it seems that the über hip design and decor flash sale site Fab.com read my mind and is offering a gazillion affordable brightly colored prints from this same series! *Please note that Fab.com is membership only so you’ll have to join to view the sales.

I wanted to set the tone for 2012 by indulging in a few of my favorite things including fresh flowers and a copy of French Vogue. I’ve been on a kick of picking up a bouquet of vibrantly colored flowers every two weeks to add some energy to my all-white office. And, I find French Vogue to be one of the most visually inspiring fashion publications out there.

Small indulgences, visual inspiration and a regular dose of relaxation: this is the tone that I want to set going forward in 2012.

I spent the first day of 2012 freshening up and organizing my surroundings. I stocked up on new cleaning supplies, shredded a stack of junk mail, vacuumed my office, pulled all the receipts out of my wallet, recycled a massive stack of print-outs that were collecting dust in my flat files, cleaned out my closets and flipped through and recycled a stack of old magazines.

I also spent some time changing up my beauty routine. I was on vacation all week in Phoenix and took some time to get my hair trimmed and picked up some new makeup at the MAC counter. I loathe foundation (and hadn’t worn it in about 5 years) but remembered how well my skin photographed last year after a MAC makeover so I picked up Studio Sculpt and Skinfinish powder. Then, I painted my nails nude for the first time ever with Face Stockholm Unclear and applied one of my favorite eyeshadow combos, Double Feature 1 by MAC. Finally, I used a new (to me) scent: Chanel N° 5.

A clean, organized environment, a beauty routine change-up and some time to think. Not a bad way to spend the first day of the new year.

If Santa had an unlimited budget, these are a few of my favorite things that I’d love to see stashed under the tree this year. Dream big, always!

1. Diptyque Baies Noire 300g Candle, 2. Tsovet LX531010-01 Watch, 3. Kate Spade Recital Farrah clutch, 4. Pia Wallén Cross Blanket, 5. Schoolhouse Electric Alabax Light and Nikon 1 Camera in White.

1. Eero Aarnio Ball Chair, 2. Zara Zip-Front Skirt, 3. Marimekko Siirtolapuutarha Mug, 4. Kate Spade Sidewalks of New York Scarf, 5. iPad 2 in White.

Readers: What’s on your wish list this year?

I recently designed a set of landing pages for Solestruck featuring All Caps, a line of shoes that are handmade in Portugal — I love this brand because their styles are fresh and the quality surpasses that of even many of the designer brands out there.

The ads showcase the Dahlia in all three colors . I wanted to do something different this time around; 60s-inspired with a bright, retro pop-inspired feel.

I always say that bright colored shoes are the equivalent of an exclamation point at the end of any outfit. I got to keep the red pair and when I wore them around town the next day, they proved to be incredibly walkable considering the soaring height. The secret is the substantial front platform which keeps the incline from being ridiculously steep.

All Caps: Fall into color. Photos by Joey Maas. Concept, design and copy by Nubbytwiglet.com.

When my friend sent me a link to I Need Nice Things, it was love at first sight. The site was created to make contemporary art collectible and yes, affordable. With an emphasis on simple, graphic prints, many of which feature type and brightly hued shapes, I Need Nice Things has the tastes of most designophiles covered. Now, I just need some more blank walls…

Custom made Clothing? These days? Who can afford such luxury? I think I’ve had one item custom made in my entire life. Usually, my clothing is strictly off the rack or it’s a no-go. It’s true that you’ll most commonly find me alongside a pack of 16 years olds in Forever 21 or placing a late night order on the Urban Outfitters site. Or, perhaps scoring something really unique on Ebay. But custom sized? No way. First of all, where do you go for such a thing? Secondly, I hate trying on clothes (U.S. sizing is a mess). Usually, I check out what the mannequin in the store display is wearing and grab the same thing.

Pieced together just so-so with great accessories, off-the-rack clothes are great. On an average of three days a week, when I’m in a hurry, you’ll probably find me wearing one of five pairs of the perfect black skinny jeans I picked up at Urban Outfitters on sale for $20.00 a piece. But sometimes, all those basics need to be taken up a notch. And that’s where my friend Zoetica Ebb’s collaboration with Plastik Wrap comes in. Hello, GHST RDR jacket!

I placed my order with three simple measurements (comically measured early one morning with a standard tape measure by Joey) and less than two weeks later, this beauty showed up on my doorstep. I threw it on, zipped it up and…it fit to a tee. No bunching, no gaps. Perfectly form fitting.

This jacket looks fairly basic when dressed down with jeans but gives you major curves in all the right places. I love the knife pleats, the built-in thumbholes and the two-way zipper. I have a few other lightweight black jackets but I wanted something a little more fitted and dressy. Done and done. This fits the bill perfectly. Now, if only I could afford an entire closet of custom made clothing…ooh GHST RDR, look what you’ve started!

There’s always an endless stream of internet design inspiration at our fingertips but the feeling of flipping though a book can never be replaced. Over the years I’ve gathered a small library of design books that I refer to on a regular basis and though all quite different, I consider many of these titles to be indispensable for varying reasons. I am by no means proclaiming these books to be the best out there; these are simply titles that I personally own and have found to provide great content. Note: these are not listed in any particular order.

01: Graphic Idea Notebook by Jan V. White

If you’ve ever wondered how designers got inspired before the internet was commonplace, Graphic Idea Notebook can easily answer that question. This book definitely has a spot in my top three all-time favorite design books. Each page is brimming with basic design concepts that are as relevant today as they were in 1980 when the book was first published.

Graphic Idea Notebook is overflowing with inspiration that will help you think in a whole new way when working with page layouts, type and images. I own the second edition from 1991 and the ‘new’ introduction from that time now sounds laughably quaint. An excerpt: “Imagine a time when there were no faxes, no answering machines, no microwaves, no CD players, no VCRs, no Cuisinarts, no Post-its — how primitive. No computers? (Big number-crunchers were around at that time. They didn’t do pages.) You mean people actually enjoyed making up pages using rubber cement, razor blades and scotch tape? Indeed they did ten short years ago…” The introduction goes on to say that even though technology has changed dramatically since 1980, we are still very much faced with the same old design dilemmas today. I agree. Perhaps the best part about White’s series of books is that they are completely accessible — you can pick up most of them for just a few dollars each!

02: Helvetica: Homage to Typeface by Lars Muller

Helvetica: Homage to a Typeface was the first ‘design’ book that I ever purchased; I found it back in 2002 during my second trip to New York, tucked away in the F.I.T. bookstore. This book helped me understand how graphic design relates to our every day environments. The book’s premise is very simple; it features snapshots taken throughout the world’s major cities of Helvetica in use, most commonly on store and subway signs. Also mixed throughout the pages are packaging, maps, logos and more, all featuring Helvetica as the unifying factor. Of the book, Müller says, “The designs gathered together here in honor of Helvetica have been created by superb designers and anonymous amateurs from all over the world…Helvetica is the perfume of the city.”

03: How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul has probably been mentioned on my blog more than any other book. I bought it while still in college and referred to it constantly. Why? It is brimming with practical, common sense advice that every beginning designer should know. I love the introduction: “Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration, but they are much less willing to reveal such critical matters as how to find work, what to charge, and what to do when a client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill.” This book answers all those nagging questions designers have when starting out but don’t know who to ask. Written in a very straight-forward manner by a designer for designers, this is a must-read for design students.

04: The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier

The Brand Gap isn’t exactly a design book. But, if your goal is to be a designer at ad agencies (like mine was), it’s important to have a basic understanding of the relation between business strategy and design. This book can help you understand why some of the biggest brands in the world have been so successful in a simple, fun manner. Marty Neumeier wrote a brilliant introduction that starts out with, “A lot of people talk about it. Yet very few people understand it. Even fewer know how to manage it. Still everyone wants it. What is it? Branding, of course — arguably the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet.” Bonus: If you want a sneak peek, I shared my favorite slides from the PDF version of the book here.

05: Experimental Formats 2 by Roger Fawcett-Tang

Experimental Formats.2 is a bit more gimmicky than the rest, but in all fairness, it lives up to its name. With an emphasis on books, brochures and catalogs, the book has a split spine and folds out into two books. It’s full of edgy and inspiring printed matter and fantastic if you’re looking for new ways to liven up your publication design projects.

06: Typography Essentials by Ina Saltz

Typography Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type is a recent addition to my collection and perhaps quite telling, it is already bookmarked with a pile of sticky-notes. Each page in this book is brimming with relevant, of-the-moment examples. I have found the huge number of editorial design layouts that are showcased to be particularly helpful. Sometimes, when you’re stuck on a basic page layout, you just need a few visuals to jog your memory. This book isn’t the most cutting-edge but it is one of the most practical — the 100 principles and corresponding images are well curated and fairly timeless.

07: Super Identity

Super Identity: In Your Sight and in Your Mind is a must-have if you’re an identity junkie. Incredibly well designed and with a focus on mostly fashion and retail brands, it doesn’t just showcase the same old logo and letterhead combos. Promos, ads and other integral pieces of collateral are shown off, creating a truly inspiring and well-rounded look. Martin Margiela, American Apparel, and Saks Fifth Avenue are all covered. Disclaimer: My identity design for Nubbytwiglet.com was included as well but even if it wasn’t, I would still consider this book to be one of the best curated examples of identities out there.

08: The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst

The Elements of Typographic Style is often referred to as the “Typographer’s Bible.” This book is super wordy, detailed and…poetic. Bringhurst’s attention to detail when it comes to typography is unparalleled. He speaks about type in a truly enlightening manner and really makes you notice and appreciate even the smallest details in typography all while absorbing proper etiquette. Especially useful is the inclusion of a glossary of design terms, an explanation of letters in foreign alphabets, and even a listing of type designers and foundries.

Hopefully my list of recommendations will help those of you who are looking for some new design books to add to your collection. In return, I always love hearing about the titles that other designers swear by. What are some of your favorites?