I did some improvements to my coat of arms. It's still the same design, I just added thin black edges to the shield and chevron and moved the shield in front of the mantling. I think I made it look a little better. I also made a certificate for my coat of arms. My coat of arms is registered with the United States Heraldic Registry http://usheraldicregistry.com. Mine can be found under K.

Here's some more info on my coat of arms and the meaning behind it.

ARMS: Argent, a chevron Vert between in chief a gear and a harp and in base a standing balance all Azure, all within a bordure Vert
CREST: On a torse Argent and Vert a tower Azure masoned and ported Argent
MOTTO: “AUDACITER ASPICIO ULTRA” (Boldly Look Beyond)
DESIGN RATIONALE: The color green stands for nature, the environment, prosperity, and my birth stone, Peridot. The color white stands for peace and the light of all that is good. Blue represents my favorite color and also stands for tranquility and inspiration. The tower crest represents my interest in architecture, home construction, and remodeling. Metaphorically, the tower also represents the ability to look beyond, which ties in with the motto. The chevron shape also represents my interest in home remodeling and construction. The green bordure represents my love of the natural world and serves the practical purpose of helping the shield to stand out when it is printed on paper. The gear stands for my interest in science and technology and inventiveness. The harp stands for contemplation, meditation, spirituality, and my artistic interests, such as writing and photography. The balance is a symbol for the ideals of equality, justice, moderation, and wise decision making, which are important to me. The motto is Latin for “Boldly Look Beyond.”
BIOGRAPHY: Born in August 1988, Peter Gordon Kennedy is the only son of Roland and Diane Kennedy. He has had a passion for science since he was in fourth grade and has been interested in architecture, home construction, and remodeling since his early teens. He values the pursuit of knowledge and graduated from high school with high honors. His love of science led him to some interesting hobbies, including element collecting, rock and mineral collecting, and scientific experimentation. Additionally, he loves writing poetry and high fantasy. He wrote his first short story when he was 11, his first novelette when he was 14, and his first novel, Of Orbs and Lords, at the age of 18 and self-published it at the age of 19 through a print-on-demand publisher. Peter has also loved nature since he was very young and enjoys photographing its beauty.

You do some neat things. Impressive.

I agree with Dick.

Very nice.

Carol

Why not use the real one?

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/kennedy-family-crest.htm

Actually, there's no such thing as a family coat of arms historically. Coats of arms origionally belonged to individuals and were passed down from father to son, usually with marks of differnce. The concept of family coats of arms originated in the 19th. century with companies trying to sell stationary. The coat of arms I designed and registered with the United States Heraldic Registry is a design that represents me as an individual. I put a lot of thought into it and did lots of research on coats of arms before finalizing the design in September 2008.

Here's a version of the Kennedy coat of arms I downloaded from the internet for free. Although family arms aren't historically accurate in the strict traditional sense, I suppose there's nothing wrong with using them in this day and age.

I like it. I especially like the dark green.

My 3rd great-grandmother, Ailcy Foster, is the subject on one of my WIP's, Ailcy's Legacy. Her father's family has bee connected by DNA to the Norman Forresters of Northumberland. This is the Foster crest:

Ann,

I've got ancestors from the 1400s named Forster. (Elizabeth, George, and Humphrey.) They are from Berkshire, England.

I also found a coat of arms for the Grant family. (My maiden name.)

Peter,

I like the idea of the individual coat of arms.

And I liked reading your biography. I've always considered you a very interesting person.

Carol

Gordon,
you do good work. I agree that a "family" coat of arms is original to the person on which it was bestowed. It is most often carried by the descendants.
I tried to upload my family coat of arms but it didn't work.

Here's yet another version with a little lighter green.