If you want to add some simple features while keeping your site your "own". Just learn perl or php. It's real simple, and you'll always have the look/control you want.
Though, with learning those, you'll also want to learn some sql, as you'll either be using mysql or postgres.
It's good stuff, it's fun, and it's relatively easy too
Moveable type, blogging software, a decent cms, they're all widely available, and most free, which is great. But you have a great opportunity to learn something here too.
Just my 2 bits.