I am just starting as well, and it has been suggested to keep my batches to a pound or two until I get more of a handle on what I am doing and get used to the process. I am starting with one pound batches in a pvc mold. I am not sure how your finances are, but you can sometimes find better deals through other places. Bramble Berry is very good though. I am using Wholesale Suppliers Plus for my base oils and Essential Depot for my lye. Oh, and I bought my olive oil locally as it was less expensive that way. Most people suggest not using more then two or three oils on your first batch and to not add colorants or fragrances to it so you can learn how the process works. I will be making my first batch tomorrow, and it will be pretty plain. I have the recipe I plan to use posted in the recipe feedback section on the forums. As for a scale, I got mine through Amazon, but there are a lot of options to choose from. I have heard good things about the one from Bramble Berry. The thing to be sure of is that you can measure in grams to get more precise measurements.
Um, other things for starting that I suggest would be basic safety equipment for handling lye (gloves at the very least, goggles are also good to have), a thermometer is good for starting out though not everyone uses them (I got a relatively inexpensive infrared thermometer from Amazon), a stick blender, and bowls for mixing (I also suggest either a heavy plastic pitcher for mixing your lye water, or a stainless steel carafe).
Oh, a tip with using salt... I would suggest not using the salt on your first batch. It is often used to make harder soaps and can cause you to reach trace faster. Last tip I have would be to watch some videos on youtube to see how people do things. Not all of them are great or what I may recommend, but a lot of them are fairly good and offer good advice. (Soap Queen from Bramble Berry and Soaping 101 are a couple off the top of my head).
I am located in WA and hope to meet other people from the same area as well. 
