[Daemonax]

I've been flashing for years on multiple WM phones, so I'm a little biased, but a custom ROM is absolutely the way to go. Today's cooks make the process so easy that it is hard to screw up if you read and follow the directions. It can be a little nerve racking the first time, but after one or two, you'll never go back to stock.

That being said, have you looked through the Themes sub-forum? There are a whole host of mods for 2.1 that may get you want you want.