Need Advice For Coloring Hair?

Hey. I need a change, and I was looking into dying my hair blond, but I don't know the first thing about it.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq250/Legendary...

That's my natural hair color. It's sort of a light brown, kinda blondish in bright light.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq250/Legendary...

I want my hair to look sort of like the color of the girl on the right of the picture, sort of a golden blond, maybe a bit lighter.

So, what should I do? Should I do this at home, or see a professional? Is there a certain formula or dye I should use? What's the risk to my hair, and how can I counteract that?

Thanks for the help, the Answers community is awesome.