Tons of content on your site, very close to being overloaded. I think you need to start loosen it up a bit and give the site some more room - visually.
Start with the nav bar on the left side and make it tabs, it's going to combine the elements into one and give it a more streamlined look.
A custom logo is needed, the dollar sign + font alone doesn't quite get it.
Backdrop is a good idea, however, i think you need to rethink the coloring of the backdrop and eventually base it off the main colors of your frame work.
Once you have your custom logo place watermarks in the backdrop, it assists with the branding of your site.
Once you have content behind your tabs, you should place a box somewhere that reflects the most recent entry to the blogs.
Overall, not a bad site, just needs some visual enhancements: :tu:+1/2 out 3
At this time: :tu::tu: (2/3) for the design