Great advise from these other ladies. I totally agree that finding your own style is a HUGE part of it. I feel like I've been able to do that a lot better over the last year, and I'm so much happier with my layouts! Sometimes I will still see a layout in a different style by someone else that I think is fantastic, and I'll try to do something similar, and it hardly ever works. Every now and then, I will venture into unfamiliar territory, but I like to stick to what I do best.
I also think that shadows make a really big difference. So, that's something specific that you can try to work on.
But, mostly, enjoy it and be happy that you are preserving memories for your family. That's what it's all about in the end.