i've been doing a little research on embroidery software and i've found what i think i want to get. it's called Embird. if you google it, you'll find it a few places. it's less than $150 (waaaaaayyyyy cheaper than most) and the ladies on my embroidery board really speak highly of it.
now to wait and see if i've been good enough for Santa to bring it (or the money for it) to me!
ETA - there's a free 30 day trial available for Embird.