As far as blades go, I've found that either Pegas or Flying Dutchman seem to be the best out there. But blades are a personal thing, try those 2 for starters and get like #3 and #5 of each. I always set mine to cut on the down stroke, if you run your finger lightly over the teeth they will grab in one direction, that will tell you which way is the down side. The wood will be less likely to jump up while cutting if the teeth are cutting down. There are many variations of those blades also, skip tooth, reverse tooth and so on. There is no right answer here, find what works for you, it'll take time, but you'll get there.
Another factor is cutting speed. If you have a single speed saw your kinda stuck with that speed which is way a variable speed saw is better. You'll find slower speeds may work better for you with thinner stock, again, it's a personal choice thing.
What has been posted so far is great information and this site is the place to be to get the information you need to be successful.
Good luck...Chris