PPP, Katie! I'm a Nikon girl and I love my camera. If you don't already know the theory of aperture, shutter speed, and what effects changing them have on your photos, learn that. From there, it's just a matter of learning where all your buttons are, etc. and that's a ppp until they are automatic.
I have lots of photography books and this is my fave for all the basics and good tips:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/n...to-photography
There are a million places on line you can learn that stuff too.
Lens I can't live without - my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR. I drooled over that one for about 6 years before I bought, though! For beads, I wish I had a macro lens. Best tip - buy the best lenses you can afford. It makes all the difference. Every time I cheaped out on a lens, I ended up selling it for a loss and upgrading.
I love this site and always check his reviews before I ever buy a lens:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm