I agree with Jim that they are a bit over-saturated... I have a Nikon D40 as well & when I have used the "Vivid" & "More Vivid" features & it tends to change colors similiar to this... I didn't check your properties to know if that's what you were using, but I would test out normal or portrait mode under "Optimize Image" in the Menu next time for a more natural look.
I cannot believe you said this chic was a friend... wow.
