my mister and i finally escaped to our neighborhood movie house to watch the descendants on what turned into a blustery winter day here on the mainland. dear hawaii, your breathtaking beauty certainly shined on the big screen . . . a lush love note to our island home!

the story, if you have yet to page through the debut novel by kaui hart hemmings, juxtaposes two life changing scenarios - the impending sale of a land trust inherited by the ancestors of a hawaiian princess and her banker husband while the 21st century branch of the king 'ohana (a.k.a. the clooney clan if the movie trailer is your only introduction to this unconventional tale) deals with the agonizing wait of losing their adventure-seeking first lady who traded her heart to a secret sweetheart.

cue sticky predicaments.

read on for more love for the descendants + giveaway details after the jump!