The Canon Rebel 3ti is a solid camera. As a professional, I used my Rebel xti for nearly 6 years before making the upgrade to the 5D mark ii. The rebel is a perfect entry level camera that provides the necessary settings to continue learning and advancing a photographer's skill set. It is easy to learn and I find the Rebels very intutive. The menus and buttons are straightforward and use common terminilogy which is why I like Canon over Nikon.

The rebel is usually only sold as a kit, with the 18-55 lens. The 18-135 or 18-200 are nice as well, but a little on the more expensive side. Sometimes Costco has a good deal on a kit with two lenses. I recommend the 50mm 1.8, which you can find for around $100. The 50mm 1.4 can be found for about $325 and is obviously a step up, but the 50mm 1.8 is my go to lens. I love it. It is sharp and crisp. A bargain for sure.

Unless your GF is shooting in RAW format, a 4gb memory card should be sufficient as well as a back up battery or two. Depending on your budget, a mamory card reader could be useful as well.