I want to get a new camera

So I need a camera, a really good camera, I LOVE to take pictures and am so tired of doing it with my phone my husband is 'mad' at me because I got in his words a 'dinky cheap camera that still sucks' because I didn't want to spend alot of money on it especially at Christmas time now he's telling me to start looking for a better one...any ideas?  I really am not sure where to go with this I've been looking at what other bloggers are using and though I'm usually a cannon girl the Nikon D5100 looks very nice...any oppinions?  Advice?  What do you use?