You can use Filterable Index you can find it under Appearance > Customize > Ethos > BLOG OPTIONS. This will bypass the standard output of your blog page, allowing you to specify categories to highlight.
Regretfully, you can not mix and match the stacks. It could be possible with custom development, but this would be outside the scope of support we can offer. You may wish to consult a developer to assist you with this. X is quite extensible with child themes, so there are plenty of possibilities.