Well, Dillon, you've been shooting seriously for six months or so, and I think your early fashion- and people photography shows a lot of promise for somebody as new and inexperienced as you currently are. I've looked at hundreds of your photos and we've talked a bit offline, and I have read most of your posts,and I sort of feel like I understand how you are feeling. At "some level" equipment does make a difference. Cameras, lenses, films or sensors, lights, and lighting modifiers ALL can "make a difference" in how one's photographs are made, and how they look, to a degree.
My honest opinion is that you would be better served with a second format camera body of the same brand as you have lenses for. Be that Canon or Nikon. I think 24x36 sensor size yields more control over backgrounds on wide-angle photos, as well as more control over backgrounds in 'busy' environments, and I also think that 24x36 sensor size makes life much,much easier when using telephoto lenses indoors or in tight locations. But FF bodies are somewhat expensive--$2499 for a 5D Mark II right now with 16 gig CF card and small LowePro camera bag at
B&H. If you can hit your mom or a grandparent up for some financing, you are one of the people who might make them not regret it! A Nikon D700 would be nice too.
My old college room mate wanted to be a fashion photographer,and he worked diligently on building a portfolio, for almost three years. He shot HUNDREDS of shoots, built his book, moved to LA, and within five months was shooting for Mademoiselle magazine. Then he developed stomach cancer after about a year, and was dead before he was 30... Sad story. He didn't have a lot of gear, but he had TOTAL familiarity with what he did own. Couple of Nikons, 35,50,100, 70-210 f/4, the first 80-200 ED-AiS f/2.8 Nikkor, Norman P-2000D pack and four light heads, some modifiers, some reflectors. And three years of practice.