NEW LOOK FOR MY BLOG??? -- HELP!!!

I need everyone's opinions how my blog should look. Lately I've been finding my layout too busy and dark. The polka dots etc down the sides are a bit busy and I don't think they really add anything to the blog except for increasing the 'girly pretty' factor. The post section seems dark too.

I'd love to have a 3 column template (a small, narrow column on each side - one for focusing on reading stuff, the other focusing on baking) and the middle would be for the posts. Setting it up this way would make things so much easier if you're visiting my blog specifically for a recipe or for a book. Trouble is, Blogger doesn't have any 3 column templates (not sure why!) and I'm not sure who to turn to to figure out my next step.

For those of you who have your own blogs ... did you design it yourself or use a third party? If so, who?

So, would you all prefer a simpler layout? Or prefer the one I have now (with all the polka dots and fancy stuff down the sides)?