If you love the bike and it loves you, get it!

but try the jamis Aurora, too ($825). And a Burley Vagabond ($1600) And if your shop has built Surly Long Haul Truckers, give one of them a ride ($1000 on up)

Quillfred has a Redline cyclocross bike, which she loves.

Take a look at some of the Soma frames just to get some ideas www.somafab.com They have pictures of how some of their customers built bikes with their frames.