I never got to see what it looked like in the beginning phase, but as it stands right now, I like the minimal approach. It's clean, and that's important. The font you've chosen for the header is pretty good, and the design is classy thus far. You don't ever have to stop making refinements, but my only suggestion would be to take it slow.
Don't lose perspective on the material you're hosting, and don't try to make things too flashy because it can go from class to over done within the blink of an eye.. literally.
Make the changes you want, and test out the waters. But I think you're definitely on the right track. I'm not a designer btw, but will soon be putting together my own site (photography) using RapidWeaver. What I've learned so far is that these things are not nearly as easy as one might think !
Doug