A clean and simple look will never prevent your blog from getting noticed - and in fact some of my favorite blogs have very simple and minimalist designs. For my own blog design, I also try to keep things relatively simple and clean, with lots of white space so that the reader's eye doesn't get overwhelmed, but also with a bit of color, femininity, and whimsy thrown in. I think a blog design should be a reflection of its authors style and personality, so if that's simple and clean for you, then go for it!