Another tip...
After resizing your picture to a smaller size, it is good to apply a little sharpening to bring back some detail lost in the size reduction. Don't apply too much sharpening though or it will cause over-sharpening artifacts and make the photo look unnatural.
Take a look at this article for some pointers - I just came across it in a web search. It shows that sharpening (and other important adjustments) are in the "Adjust" window.
Use iPhoto to Make So-So Pictures Super Cool | Macinstruct
-Joe-