shield & symbolism of my first crack

[Domenico Cervasi]

Here's my first crack at my shield and the symbolism behind it. There's a lot of good information in this forum and I've gleaned much from books and reputable sites online.

Shield
Argent a hook Or and sickle Gules saltirewise (hook over sickle), on a chief Azure (Dark Blue) three seagulls volant Argent

Symbolism
The yellow hook and sickle refer to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where I live and Trapani, Sicily, my ancestral homeland. Bay Ridge was historically Yellow Hook and Trapani is derived from the Greek word for sickle. Gold and red also refer to the colors of the Sicilian flag. The three seagulls symbolize the pillars of my faith and the blue chief is symbolic of life's difficulties, which I often describe as a tsunami.

[Michael F. McCartney]

I like it! -- but don't rush to judgement. Post the design somewhere convenient e.g. on the refrigerator door & leave it there for several weeks. If during that period your subconscious comes to accept it as "you" then you have a winner. If not, then back to the drawing board...