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Any candleholders will do, as long as they're matching. This is so that neither light is greater than the other. Also they shouldn't have any obvious signs of being used for another religion's worship, such as inlaid crosses, or carvings of Ganesh the Elephant Lord of Hinduism, or the like.

Things that a Jewish home needs:

* Candlesticks and candles, and matches for lighting
* A mezuzah (scroll) within its case, on the doorways leading in, except for bathrooms. If you can afford a fancy one, go for it, but they do have a very cheap one that's all-brass, pretty attractive, and will serve the purpose just as well. There are even cheapie plastic ones -- not as pretty, but they work just as well.
* A copy of a siddur (prayer book) with Hebrew AND your own language, so that you can know what you're praying; some of us whose Hebrew isn't fantastic actually pray in English (or whatever our own language is) instead, because the mitzvah is to pray with intention and to understand what you're saying. I reallyenjoy The Complete Artscroll Siddur, which has the prayers for weekday, Sabbath, and (some) festival use, though not all the festivals, since some of them have large prayer books all their own. There are little educational footnotes in any Artscroll publication that really help you follow along and learn a bit more about how to pray, customs, history, and so on. They also have a pocket edition, which is under $15.
* A two-handled wash cup and basin, which you can get at Rosenblum's All-Judaica Store. The one-handled cup-and-basin sets are for washing after meals, and the two-handled cups and basins are for washing before meals, as well as right when you wake up in the morning. I recommend the cheap plastic ones; they fulfill the mitzvah just as well as the fancy-schmancy ones, and they cost way less.
* A Chanukiyah, which is the name for the nine-branched menorah used at Chanukah. A regular menorah has seven branches. Again, this can wait until Chanukah rolls around, so don't bother buying one right away.

Start with just those. You should be able to get all of that for fifty bucks or less. Notice, I've mentioned that there are both fancy expensive versions of each of these items, and cheapie ones made of plastic or other inexpensive materials. That's because if all you can afford are the cheapie versions, those will fulfill the mitzvah. You don't have to have the fancy-schmancy ones with gold inlay, jewels, or hand-carved olivewood from the Holy Land.

If you can afford that kind of thing, though, go for it. That would honor the princple of "hidur mitzvah," the beautification of piety. The principle basically states that when performing a mitzvah, you do it in a way that is halachic (kosher according to Jewish law) AND in a way that is attractive, so that you (and anyone else who happens to be looking) can think of Judaism as a beautiful tradition rather than as an ugly one. Thinking of Jews and our mitzvot as beautiful can produce kidush Hashem, a sanctification of the name of G*D. That's another reason we bathe before Sabbath -- so people don't think, "Oh, those dirty Jews, they stink even when they celebrate their holiest times." We bathe, so we look and smell clean, and it brings honor to ourselves, our people, and our G*D. If the best thing you can afford is a $1.50 plastic mezuzah case to go around the scroll, get it and be proud of it. If you can afford one of those $1000+ fancy ones, hey, knock yourself out.

Be advised, the Artscroll Siddur has basically every prayer you'll ever need, It's the standard issue for the Orthodoxy, but I don't know if it would be appropriate for a "beginner." I mean it will definetly help you understand the religion and how to pray, but if you can't read hebrew to begin with, you might want to start with something else.

Don't bring food or drink. If a Jewish family invites you over, and you feel you want to contribute to the party, bring flowers in a vase. A Jewish household won't invite a non-kosher-keeping person for potluck.

If they've invited you for Sabbath, make sure of accommodations. "I'm not sure how this works. Am I expected to stay over for all of Shabbat, or should I make arrangements for getting home after dinner?" This is important, because it would violate the Sabbath if you were to leave their home and then take a bus, taxi, or drive yourself home. They'd feel like very poor hosts if you had to take those measures in order to get home. Most of the time, they won't invite you for Shabbat unless they've got room for you to stay over, but make sure before Sabbath falls.

If they're observant, they will either think of everything, or ask you to come before Sabbath begins and help them prepare (which is fun, if they ask that). If you come before Sabbath falls, they might ask you to tear toilet paper. Just tear it off in three-square strips and lay them down. One to two rolls per bathroom is usually sufficient, unless there's a large family; ask how many rolls they recommend. This is because tearing is forbidden on Sabbath, and that includes toilet paper. They might also ask you to put Shabbat light switch covers on the switches, so that no one forgets and turns a switch on or off, leaving the bathroom dark for someone else, or making someone stare at a bright light bulb all night when trying to sleep.

For the "DO" list, just be a good guest and observe general guidelines of courtesy. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and apologize, and then ask if you can fix it.

As a non-Jew, you do have a special place in an observant home, if you care to use it. Some households will be adamant that EVERYONE under their roof is their guest and should not have to work on Sabbath. Others will be grateful for assistance, but won't be able to ask for it directly. If you hear someone hinting that a room is fairly dark, you're able to offer to turn on the light. It's forbidden for a Jew to ask a non-Jew directly to do something that is considered as work. If they don't want you to turn on the light, they'll say, "No, that's all right." If the response is, "I'm not asking you to do that, but you can if you like," turn it on. They also can't turn on a dish washer, perform first aid unless someone's life or health is in danger without it, extinguish a small accidental kitchen fire unless the home or people are in danger, wipe up a spill (because they might wring out the towel, and wringing is forbidden)... Things like that. Little everyday things.

Even if you want to, though, as a non-Jew, even in the process of conversion to Judaism, you're obligated to perform one act of melachah (work) on Sabbath, because a non-Jew is forbidden to observe Sabbath completely. Ask your host (before Shabbat begins) what you can do for them in order to fulfill that obligation. If you don't have a chance before Shabbat, just wait until Shabbat begins and take an emery board and file down one of your fingernails (one stroke of the board is all that's required, but you can do more if you like). That'll suffice; grinding is forbidden on Shabbat, so as a non-Jew you can buff or file your nail to fulfill your obligation to perform an act of work.

::gives you cookie too::
Thanks for the link, I'm psycho with having the right prayers, I already have one printed off, but I really love how i have a different site and now i can double check.

lol, that's easily said. How can you not be nervous when you go to meet an observant family? ::huggls kingpin:: You know it's okay to be nervous, but don't let it ruin you okay. Maybe fine little things that can help you ease the nervousness.

I think the biggest thing to meet a family would be go to service, and just keep going, and get to know people. An observant family couldn't help but invite you over, you're such a great person kingspin. And like divash said, most won't invite you over for whole shabbos it'll most likely just be a meal after service or something.

They understand you're a convert right? Then you'll probably be just fine, feel free to ask questions. They want you to know things, like we do.

yea the NCSY bencher is really good, I like that one a lot too.

That womens siddur is sold at my shul, it looks really nice, but yea it's really expensive.

I got a question.

okay I know I probably can't do this like (correct me on spelling) Halachicly (I soo murdered that word, plus i used it in the wrong context, probably oh well) but I probably can't put a mezzuzah up the door to my room ( the basement) or like do the whole declare it a jewish homeish area if there is a crusifix or whatever on the wall right.

I don't really want to because it wouldn't be right, even if I don't believe in it. I don't want an idol in my home.

my mom refuses to allow me to take the crusifix from the basement she says her house her rules. -.-

sooo. what should I do. Give your wonderful advice on if i can even do it with jewish laws(which I doubt), and your opinion.
(i say i just won't make my room a jewish placey thing, because it wrouldn't be right.)
(I don't mean to get off topic, I just >.> I felt like it kind of went on the same lines.)

lol neuf ... wow.. yea i'm going to up to my mom about that one, you know i'll get to move out of her house and into a looney bin. woot for me. oh that did make me laugh and i needed that.

okay cool. ^.^ sweet. Now I don't feel so bad about wanting ot put it up, but i'll still talk to my friend naama and her husband whom is a rabbi just to see what they think i should do, maybe it would be best if i didn't request to have a mezzuzah up by the door, my mom probably wouldn't allow it becaus she doesn't want our family knowing i want to convert, and that's pretty weird to goy people and you'd have to explain it.